French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu Retains Position After No-Confidence Challenge

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French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu survived two confidence motions Thursday, just days after appointing his new government and making a key political concession to stay in power.

The votes followed Lecornu’s decision Tuesday to back suspending a divisive 2023 pension reform, in a bid to keep his cabinet afloat long enough to pass a much-needed austerity budget by year’s end.

The leftist Socialist Party had threatened to vote to oust the premier if he didn’t move to freeze the reform that would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

Attempts to remove France’s Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu through separate motions initiated by both the left-wing France Unbowed and the far-right National Rally were unsuccessful on Thursday. The motions did not garner enough votes to force Lecornu out of office.

After the results, Lecornu said he was ready to “get down to work” on budget negotiations, due to start in parliament next week.

“You can see how serious the situation is,” the head of government told BFMTV.

Despite the outcome, Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure cautioned that his party remains open to supporting efforts to oust the government, hinting at future political maneuvers.

“If the government does not honour its commitments, particularly regarding the suspension of the pension reform, we would immediately vote against the cabinet,” Faure said on X.

Lecornu has said he will propose an amendment to put the retirement age on hold in parliament “as early as November”.

France, the eurozone’s second-largest economy, has been mired in political paralysis since President Emmanuel Macron called snap elections last year, aiming to consolidate his power.

The recent vote has led to a stalemate in parliament, resulting in a boost for far-right factions, reflecting the shifting political landscape in France.

France is under significant pressure from the European Union to address its fiscal challenges, including reducing its deficit and debt. This financial strain has already led to the downfall of Lecornu’s two predecessors as the government grapples with implementing necessary cost-cutting measures.

The president’s seventh premier since 2017, Lecornu must now steer a cost-cutting budget through a deeply divided parliament before the end of the year, in what is expected to be a bruising fight.

Lecornu, who became prime minister last month, resigned last Monday after criticism of his first cabinet, only to be reappointed days later and unveil a reshuffled team in time to submit a draft budget to parliament.

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France’s debt-to-GDP ratio is the European Union’s third-highest after Greece and Italy, and is close to twice the bloc’s 60 per cent ceiling.

Lecornu has pledged not to invoke a constitutional tool used to push through every budget without a vote since 2022 and vowed to put all bills to debate.

“The government will make suggestions, we will debate, and you will vote,” the 39-year-old Macron loyalist emphasised in a speech to lawmakers Tuesday.

But the opposition has challenged his optimism.

The National Rally’s Marine Le Pen accused lawmakers of granting Lecornu a reprieve out of “terror of elections”, saying she was waiting with “growing impatience” for parliament’s dissolution.

The far right sees its best chance yet to take power in the 2027 presidential race, when Macron’s second and final term ends.