French Prime Minister Lecornu Survives First No-Confidence Vote, Faces Second Challenge

Paris — French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu survived the first of two no-confidence votes in parliament on Thursday, narrowly avoiding the collapse of his week-old government.

The motion, brought by the hard-left France Unbowed party, secured 271 votes, falling short of the 289 needed to oust Lecornu. A second no-confidence motion, tabled by the far-right National Rally, is expected within hours and also appears unlikely to succeed.

Lecornu gained crucial support from the Socialist Party after pledging to suspend President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reform until after the 2027 presidential election. The move provided a temporary lifeline for the government amid mounting political turmoil.

However, Thursday’s vote highlighted the fragility of Macron’s administration, which is struggling to maintain control of a deeply divided National Assembly midway through his final term.

By shelving the pension reform — a cornerstone of Macron’s economic agenda — Lecornu risks undermining one of the president’s key policy legacies. France’s public finances remain under pressure, and the government now faces difficult budget negotiations in the coming weeks.

If Lecornu were to lose either of the no-confidence votes, he and his cabinet would be required to resign immediately, forcing Macron to either appoint a new government or call a snap election, potentially plunging France into further crisis.

Even if he survives the second vote, Lecornu faces a tough road ahead as he works to pass a slimmed-down 2026 budget and appease competing political factions. The Socialists have already demanded the inclusion of a wealth tax on billionaires, further complicating negotiations.

France remains gripped by its worst political instability in decades, as minority governments struggle to push through deficit-cutting measures in a parliament split among the left, the right, and the far right.

(Reuters)