French Prime Minister to Push Through Budget Bill Without Parliamentary Approval, Despite Promises to Avoid Such Move.
In a move that has been widely criticized by opposition parties and constitutional experts, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on January 19 that he will invoke Article 49.3 of the Constitution to pass the 2026 budget bill into law without parliamentary approval.
The decision comes after weeks of negotiations between the government and opposition parties, including the Socialists, who have made significant concessions in an effort to secure support for the budget bill.
However, Lecornu admitted that resorting to Article 49.3 represented a "partial failure" of his efforts to build broad support for the bill, as he had promised not to use this constitutional tool.
Despite this, Lecornu believes that he now has enough political support to survive even if no-confidence motions were filed against him. The Socialists have agreed to back the budget bill, and other parties are also believed to be on board.
The move is seen as a major blow to opposition parties, who had been criticizing the government for its handling of the budget negotiations. It also raises concerns about the erosion of parliamentary institutions in France.
Lecornu's decision has sparked widespread debate, with many questioning the legitimacy of his actions and the impact they will have on French politics.
In a move that has been widely criticized by opposition parties and constitutional experts, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on January 19 that he will invoke Article 49.3 of the Constitution to pass the 2026 budget bill into law without parliamentary approval.
The decision comes after weeks of negotiations between the government and opposition parties, including the Socialists, who have made significant concessions in an effort to secure support for the budget bill.
However, Lecornu admitted that resorting to Article 49.3 represented a "partial failure" of his efforts to build broad support for the bill, as he had promised not to use this constitutional tool.
Despite this, Lecornu believes that he now has enough political support to survive even if no-confidence motions were filed against him. The Socialists have agreed to back the budget bill, and other parties are also believed to be on board.
The move is seen as a major blow to opposition parties, who had been criticizing the government for its handling of the budget negotiations. It also raises concerns about the erosion of parliamentary institutions in France.
Lecornu's decision has sparked widespread debate, with many questioning the legitimacy of his actions and the impact they will have on French politics.
So now our French PM is basically a dictator, no? I mean, I get it, budget bills can be super complicated and he probably felt like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. But using Article 49.3 without even trying to work with the opposition parties first? That's like taking a shortcut on the highway of democracy... 
But what really gets my goat is how this sets a precedent for other politicians to do the same thing. It's like we're going back to good old-fashioned monarchies... 
just saw that the french prime minister is going to push through a budget bill without parliamentarian approval 
that's not good at all, it sets a bad precedent for france's democratic institutions... 
what if he does this again in the future? 
also, i'm worried about the erosion of parliamentarian power, that's something we should all be watching closely... 
. They should have negotiated harder or found a better deal. Now they're just along for the ride 
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. And what about all those concessions the Socialists made? Were they just pretending to be part of the negotiations to save face 
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? French PM Sébastien Lecornu is basically saying "forget about parliamentary approval" 
. stats show that since 2000, there have been only 12 times when PMs used this constitutional tool in France 
but honestly it sounds like a major power play to me 
. polls show that only 21% of French people support this move 
. btw did u know that France's budget deficit is projected to be €32 billion in 2026 
This is a really bad sign for France and its politics 
. Can't wait to see how this whole thing plays out 
. What if no one speaks up against it? 
! I mean, I get it that governments need to make tough decisions fast, but if you're not gonna follow the rules, what's the point of having a parliament at all? 
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... I mean, what's going on here? The PM just decides to ignore the whole democratic thing and push through a major bill without even trying to build support from opposition parties? It's like he's playing some kind of power game... "Oh, I made concessions, but not enough" 
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. Can't believe Seb Lecornu would go through with this. I mean, what's the point of even having Parliament if you just gonna do what you want? 
Maybe it'll force him to make some tough decisions and compromises that would've been harder to negotiate in a more collaborative environment. And who knows, maybe the opposition parties will come around once they see the impact of his actions. 
. It sets a bad precedent for future governments to just do whatever they want without having to answer to their constituents. And let's be real, it's also a bit concerning that the PM broke his promise in the first place 
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it's not exactly inspiring confidence in his ability to lead.
. We need to see how this plays out & what impact it has on the country's political landscape 
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