The National Assembly overwhelmingly rejected the revenues section of the 2026 budget bill in the night of Friday, November 22, to Saturday, November 23, 2025, sending the text to the Senate without reviewing expenditures. The government hopes for a compromise, but the option of a special law extending the 2025 budget is gaining traction to avoid default. Opposition figures like Sarah Knafo prefer it to the deputies' amended version.
In an Assembly fragmented by the 2024 legislative elections, left-wing groups and the Rassemblement national voted against the revenues section of the 2026 finance bill, while the government camp split between votes against and abstentions. Only one out of 577 voices was in favor, marking an unprecedented near-unanimous rejection. The text, amended with hundreds of fiscal proposals – like the Zucman tax or an unproductive wealth tax –, is sent to the Senate this Tuesday, November 25, where debates on revenues begin Monday in the Finance Committee.
Economy Minister Roland Lescure and Public Accounts Minister Amélie de Montchalin express cautious optimism. Appearing on LCI/Le Parisien this Sunday, November 23, Amélie de Montchalin stated she believes a «compromise possible», citing the favorable vote on the Social Security budget revenues. She rejects using Article 49.3 or ordinances, opposed by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, and describes the special law as a «last resort parachute» to avoid the state's and local authorities' «default», allowing continued collection of existing taxes without new savings or investments.
This option is favored by parts of the opposition. LFI Finance Committee president Éric Coquerel deems it «the most probable». LR's Bruno Retailleau supports it, preferring it to a budget «impoverishing the French». Reconquête MEP Sarah Knafo, guest on Grand Jury RTL-Le Figaro-M6-Public Sénat, acknowledges this outcome is «unfortunately» inevitable. She argues that, given the proliferation of taxes, previous budgets, «though awful and unworthy of our economy», remain «always preferable to the next one's». She mocks the consensus on new taxes and proposes a counter-budget: 80 billion euros in savings, paired with a 20 billion reduction in compulsory levies, targeting development aid, non-contributory benefits for foreigners (RSA, housing aid), wind power support, urban policy, and agencies like Ademe, France Travail, or Arcom. «Spend less to tax less so that the French and businesses earn more», she advocates.
