On the eve of the budget debate in the National Assembly, the Socialist Party (PS) issued an ultimatum to the government: advances on fiscal justice by Monday, or face a motion of censure. Olivier Faure, the PS first secretary, criticized the lack of measures against the ultra-rich and Gafam. The government's fate now hinges on concessions from the majority.
On October 24, 2025, as debates on the 2026 finance bill (PLF) began in the National Assembly chamber, Socialist Party leaders reiterated their threat of a motion of censure against Sébastien Lecornu's government. Boris Vallaud, PS deputy group president, warned in Le Parisien: 'The account isn't there. Fiscal justice is not on the agenda.' Olivier Faure, interviewed on BFM-TV, set a deadline: 'If there [is] no sensitive evolution by Monday (…), it would be over,' clarifying that this would mean voting against the budget and censuring the government.
The socialists demand measures to raise 15 to 20 billion euros in additional revenues by taxing Gafam, the ultra-rich, and super-inheritances. Faure cited Bernard Arnault, whose fortune rose by 16 billion euros in one day last week. They denounce 'all these series of horrors' in the PLF, such as the tax abatement on retirees, the freeze on retirement pensions, and social benefits. Philippe Brun, PS budget lead, gave the Macronists 48 hours for concessions: 'If we do not vote the first part, then there will be no budget.'
Vallaud called for adoption of the Zucman tax on the ultra-rich and ISF on billionaires, threatening: 'We have reserved the possibility to sanction at any moment.' The government proposes a tax on patrimonial holdings over 5 million euros, but this does not satisfy the PS. This standoff follows the socialists' abstention from La France insoumise's censure motion on October 16, in exchange for commitments on fiscal justice, purchasing power, forgoing Article 49.3, and suspending the retirement reform. Without agreement, the budget debate risks halting abruptly.