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Sebastien Lecornu has dodged the first major bullet of his fledgling premiership, surviving two no-confidence motions tabled by opposition MPs that had threatened to bring him down.
In a surprisingly tight vote, the far-left motion fell short of the 289 votes needed to oust Lecornu from office - a result he can reasonably claim as a temporary reprieve. However, with his government still in uncharted waters and his team struggling to find footing, relief for the embattled premier may be short-lived.
Lecornu's survival will likely only serve to galvanize the opposition against him, with far-left parties and their allies plotting to bring him down again soon. Meanwhile, the Socialists - who threw Lecornu a lifeline by abstaining in the two votes - have made it clear that they are prepared to abandon him if he doesn't meet their demands next time round.
Furthermore, while Lecornu has managed to avoid an immediate constitutional crisis with the 49-3 vote, his long-term prospects may be affected. The concessions he made to secure a majority in parliament could limit the scope of his economic reforms and even lead to criticism from key allies.
On the other hand, he has handed the opposition a major tactical victory by offering MPs control over the future budget. This will give them ultimate say on government spending, which is likely to be unpopular with many taxpayers. The shift in power reflects Macron's own struggles to assert authority since his tumultuous parliamentary dissolution last year and represents a return to party politicking that was characteristic of France's pre-1958 Fourth Republic.
However, this could also mean that Lecornu is surrendering on the one key objective of reducing France's debt - an area in which he is under pressure from European authorities. While his budget draft aims for 4.7% deficit by 2026 and savings of €30bn (£26bn), some critics believe these measures are insufficient.
With Macron's own popularity ratings at historic lows, the situation remains precarious. The veteran essayist Alain Minc has likened him to one of history's worst leaders - suggesting that he will be remembered as a president whose collapse has major implications for Europe and beyond.
Ultimately, France is now facing an uncertain future under Lecornu's premiership - with all eyes fixed on whether the 2026 budget can be passed without sparking further chaos.
In a surprisingly tight vote, the far-left motion fell short of the 289 votes needed to oust Lecornu from office - a result he can reasonably claim as a temporary reprieve. However, with his government still in uncharted waters and his team struggling to find footing, relief for the embattled premier may be short-lived.
Lecornu's survival will likely only serve to galvanize the opposition against him, with far-left parties and their allies plotting to bring him down again soon. Meanwhile, the Socialists - who threw Lecornu a lifeline by abstaining in the two votes - have made it clear that they are prepared to abandon him if he doesn't meet their demands next time round.
Furthermore, while Lecornu has managed to avoid an immediate constitutional crisis with the 49-3 vote, his long-term prospects may be affected. The concessions he made to secure a majority in parliament could limit the scope of his economic reforms and even lead to criticism from key allies.
On the other hand, he has handed the opposition a major tactical victory by offering MPs control over the future budget. This will give them ultimate say on government spending, which is likely to be unpopular with many taxpayers. The shift in power reflects Macron's own struggles to assert authority since his tumultuous parliamentary dissolution last year and represents a return to party politicking that was characteristic of France's pre-1958 Fourth Republic.
However, this could also mean that Lecornu is surrendering on the one key objective of reducing France's debt - an area in which he is under pressure from European authorities. While his budget draft aims for 4.7% deficit by 2026 and savings of €30bn (£26bn), some critics believe these measures are insufficient.
With Macron's own popularity ratings at historic lows, the situation remains precarious. The veteran essayist Alain Minc has likened him to one of history's worst leaders - suggesting that he will be remembered as a president whose collapse has major implications for Europe and beyond.
Ultimately, France is now facing an uncertain future under Lecornu's premiership - with all eyes fixed on whether the 2026 budget can be passed without sparking further chaos.
this guy lecornu is in a tough spot... think he dodged a bullet but i'm not sure for how long, opposition is still gunning for him and socialists are like "we'll bail him out if u meet our demands" 
meanwhile macron's popularity is in the toilet 
what's going on with france? they're literally walking around without a clue on how to fix their economy. 4.7% deficit by 2026 is still pretty high imo 
and who does lecornu think he is giving control over budget to opposition MPs, that's just gonna make taxpayers unhappy 
still thinking about that french economy 
Lecornu's in a tricky spot here, survival vote was close tho 
hope he gets his act together or else it'll be a long 2026 
. The fact that the Socialists are now ready to abandon him if things don't go his way is wild 
. And what about the budget thing? Giving MPs control over it might just make him the most unpopular person in France 
... or maybe not, who knows 
.
. Macron's already struggling to assert his authority, so now Lecornu's just handing the reins over to the opposition? 
... if they can't even pass a budget without causing chaos, how's he gonna fix France's debt problems? 
.
. Plus, handing over control of the budget to MPs is a pretty big concession - I'm not sure what France's taxpayers will think about that one 
. Overall, 2026 is shaping up to be a pretty precarious year for France 
i feel bad for the people who are struggling with the economy tho, but at the same time, i'm lowkey impressed by sebastien lecornu for not getting ousted yet 
he's gotta navigate a lot of opposition and keep his party happy while trying to make economic reforms happen...it's gonna be super interesting to see how this all plays out 
but we all know he's not out of the woods yet! his government is still super unstable and he's struggling to find its footing 
meanwhile, macron's popularity ratings are still tanking and he's not doing much to help his buddy's situation 
, but let's not get too excited yet... I mean, he dodged a bullet or whatever 
. And honestly, the opposition is probably just going to keep trying to take him down until they find something that sticks 
It's not like it's going to lead to any major issues or anything... 
.