Olivier Faure demands full budget copy from Sébastien Lecornu
During a meeting with Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu on Friday, PS First Secretary Olivier Faure demanded a complete copy of the defense budget. This request comes amid budgetary tensions within the government. Faure emphasized the need for transparency to assess the impacts of proposed cuts.
The meeting between Olivier Faure and Sébastien Lecornu took place on Friday, September 27, 2025, in Paris. According to Le Monde, Faure, as the PS leader, explicitly demanded 'a complete copy of the budget' during this bilateral discussion. This demand aims to gain a full overview of allocations for the armed forces, as rumors of budget cuts circulate within the government.
Lecornu, Armed Forces Minister since 2022, responded by defending the need for fiscal adjustments to balance public accounts. 'The defense budget remains a priority, but it must fit within a constrained framework', he stated, without committing to releasing the documents. Faure, in turn, described this stance as 'a lack of transparency', stressing that 'without access to detailed figures, it is impossible to assess risks to national security'.
This exchange fits into broader 2026 budget negotiations, where the left-wing opposition, including the PS, criticizes the executive's austerity measures. No contradictions appear in available reports, confirming the event as a key moment of dialogue between government and opposition. The implications could influence upcoming parliamentary debates, with Faure calling for 'collective mobilization' to protect essential military investments.