Marine Le Pen Slams 2025 Government Budget as 'Budget of Misfortune'

During a heated session at the National Assembly on October 16, 2025, Marine Le Pen, leader of the Rassemblement National (RN), delivered a scathing critique of the French government's 2025 budget proposal under Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. Le Pen denounced the current political coalition, which has been in power for 50 years, calling it a “regime of misfortune,” a term originally used by General de Gaulle to describe political instability. She accused the coalition of prioritizing its own longevity over serving the French people.

Le Pen specifically criticized the budget for failing to honor promises made to the Socialist Party about suspending the controversial pension reform enacted through Article 49.3. She condemned the inclusion of what she described as socially indecent measures, such as taxing student jobs and social security benefits for the long-term sick, arguing these policies unfairly burden the most vulnerable members of society. According to Le Pen, the government is making these groups pay for its political failures, labeling the budget proposal as emblematic of governmental cowardice and dysfunction.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu defended the budget against motions of censure brought by RN and La France Insoumise (LFI), urging the Assembly to focus on constructive debate rather than political gamesmanship. Despite Lecornu's defense, the motions highlighted deep political fractures, with Le Pen and other opposition figures framing the budget as a sign of political crisis and democratic poisoning amid growing public disillusionment. The situation remains tense, with political alliances, including the Socialist Party and unions like the CGT, showing varying responses to the budget and the censure motions.

This confrontation over the budget underscores ongoing political turmoil in France, with the RN using the budget debate to amplify its opposition to both the government's fiscal policies and broader reforms, emphasizing social justice concerns and the plight of vulnerable populations.