On January 23, 2026, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu again invoked Article 49.3 to pass the spending portion of the 2026 budget at the National Assembly, following the failure of two censure motions. Left-wing and far-right oppositions failed to secure an absolute majority, allowing the government to proceed despite lacking a parliamentary majority.
On Friday, January 23, 2026, the National Assembly witnessed a pivotal moment in passing the 2026 budget. Following the morning failure of two censure motions—one filed by La France Insoumise (LFI), ecologists, and communists (269 votes out of 288 required), the other by the Rassemblement National (RN) and allies (142 votes)—Sébastien Lecornu invoked his government's responsibility on the spending portion (P2) of the finance bill, bypassing debate.
The prime minister, who did not even take the podium before a nearly empty chamber, justified the 49.3 invocation as necessary to 'end a political crisis' that began in September. 'We must know how to end a political crisis,' he said during a side event in Seine-Saint-Denis. He expressed regret over using this constitutional tool, which he had forsaken in October to appease socialists, with whom a compromise was ultimately reached.
To cap the deficit at 5% of GDP in 2026, the government announced significant cuts, including 1.1 billion euros from France 2030 credits—the 54 billion euro investment plan launched by Emmanuel Macron in 2021 to catch up on industrial lag and support ecological transition. The Senate had already slashed 1 billion in 2026 and 500 million in 2025.
Oppositions were outspoken. Éric Coquerel (LFI) called the budget an 'escroquerie' (scam), while Marine Le Pen (RN) decried a 'betrayal' of the solemn pact. The PS, absent from the censures, praises the 'substantial inflections' secured, such as an enhanced activity bonus. Lecornu lambasted the 'obstruction' by some groups, noting the text stems from compromise, though the left sees it as right-wing and the right as left-wing.
LFI and allies plan a new censure motion for Tuesday, extending budget tensions after three months of debate.
