The French government canceled Thursday the debates scheduled for Friday and Monday at the National Assembly on the 2026 budget bill, postponing them to Tuesday, when it may opt for Article 49.3 or ordinances to pass the text without a vote. This decision follows what Matignon calls 'continuous sabotage' by RN and LFI deputies, making adoption by vote impossible. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will present proposals Friday to attempt a compromise and avoid censure.
On January 15, 2026, Minister for Relations with Parliament Laurent Panifous announced in the hemicycle the cancellation of debates on the 2026 finance bill, scheduled for Friday and Monday, postponing them to Tuesday. 'We are definitively moving away from a compromise text acceptable to a majority of deputies,' he justified, explaining that Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu would make proposals Friday 'to enable the promulgation of a compromise budget'.
Matignon accused Rassemblement national (RN) and La France insoumise (LFI) deputies of 'continuous sabotage' that makes 'adoption of a budget by vote impossible'. The public deficit currently stands at 5.3% of GDP, exceeding the government's 5% target. Among Thursday's setbacks, the Assembly rejected the surtax on big companies' profits, expected to yield 6.3 billion euros, and a new wealth tax proposed by socialists.
Marine Le Pen, RN group president, accused on X the 'socle commun parties' of 'lying', targeting the PS, Republicans, and government for abandoning promises like no 49.3. 'The parties making up the socle commun have therefore lied, with the sole aim of preventing new legislative elections,' she wrote.
Public Accounts Minister Amélie de Montchalin confirmed 'two options before us: the 49.3 or an ordinance'. Resorting to ordinances would be unprecedented for a budget. Socialists, ready to censure if ordinances are used, are still negotiating a compromise. Emmanuel Macron, in his New Year address to the armed forces, called for adopting the budget by late January to accelerate rearmament, with an additional 3.5 billion euros effort in 2026.
An Odoxa poll for Le Figaro shows 59% of French people deem 49.3 unjustified, and 53% reject ordinances, though they fear the economic consequences of a government fall.
