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Lecornu seeks passage of a 54 billion-euro budget effort as RN holds the balance
The French prime minister wants to bring the 2027 deficit down to 5% of GDP through a major fiscal package. With Socialist backing looking unlikely, the outcome may hinge on whether the far right chooses to abstain.
Sébastien Lecornu has proposed a budget effort of around 54 billion euros to bring the 2027 deficit down to 5% of GDP, according to an interview published by Le Figaro and cited by France Info.
According to France Info, the prime minister faces a particularly difficult parliamentary path. The outlet says the Socialist group refrained from bringing down the government in 2025 in exchange for the suspension of pension reform, but that such support now appears far less likely as the party is caught up in a primary contest.
In that context, the fate of the budget may depend on the stance of the Rassemblement national. France Info reports that abstention by that bloc could allow the bill to pass. It also recalled that Marine Le Pen said last week she would prefer an imperfect budget to a special law.
France Info says Lecornu is trying to limit the effect of the presidential campaign by insisting he is not a candidate and by saying he will ask ministers who take an active part in the campaign to resign. At the same time, the outlet notes that Emmanuel Macron is expected to warn party leaders about the threat of war and geopolitical chaos.
Among the signals directed at RN, France Info points to Lecornu’s request to Brussels that proceeds from the fine imposed on Google, along with other exceptional revenue, should lower member states’ contributions, including France’s. It also mentions the announcement of a waiting period before foreigners receive benefits not tied to work.
For France Info, Marine Le Pen is likely to keep raising the price of her support throughout the autumn negotiations, in a debate that could shape not only the budget but also the government’s political stability.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
