The French government survived two no-confidence votes today over the government's decision to push through the revenue part of the 2026 budget without giving the final say to the National Assembly, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
A total of 269 deputies voted "in favor" of the no-confidence vote initiated by the far-left "France Insubordinate" party together with the "Greens" and the Communists, with 288 votes needed to bring down the government. Even fewer deputies - 142 - supported the second no-confidence vote submitted by the far-right.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Le Corneille said today that he was resorting to art. 49, Article 3 of the constitution, to push through the spending part of the 2026 budget, a move that is likely to lead to more no-confidence votes.
French President Emmanuel Macron's government will have to bypass parliament after months of negotiations that have failed to produce a budget with a moderate deficit that can pass the lower house of parliament, where no party has an absolute majority.
Macron has lost two governments over budget disagreements and faced political turmoil almost unseen since the creation of the Fifth Republic in 1958.
Relying on an emergency budget extension from last year to keep him going, Le Corneille made last-minute concessions earlier this month to reach an agreement with the Socialists not to bring down the government if it resorts to using extraordinary constitutional powers.
The leader of the Far-right Marine Le Pen said the government's political rivals who supported Le Corneille in the no-confidence vote would pay for it in the next elections, including local elections in March and the presidential election in 2027.
"Don't think that no one is watching you. "The French see you and they will make you pay for it at the ballot box," Le Pen told lawmakers before the vote, adding: "Not only because of the (budgetary) bloodletting you are causing them, but also because of the humiliating means you are using."
Lecornu said the budget deficit would not exceed 5% of GDP - down from 5.4% last year but still well above the European Union's 3% threshold.
The French government expects the entire budget to be finally approved in the first half of next month, an official said.