France’s embattled prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, won a temporary reprieve on Tuesday after the Socialist Party (PS) said it would not join efforts to topple his government, a move that gives the reappointed premier some breathing room but leaves his position fragile.
Lecornu suspends pension reform to woo the left
In a policy address and ahead of budget debates, Lecornu pledged to suspend President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reform plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, a central demand of the left. The suspension is expected to carry a near-term fiscal cost; independent reports and press coverage put the price in the hundreds of millions for 2026 and around €1.8–€2.2 billion across 2026–27.
Why the Socialists stood aside
The PS told lawmakers it was “capable of making compromises,” stopping short of explicitly committing to save the government but signaling it would not join immediate no-confidence efforts. Behind the scenes, party officials admitted that the fear of triggering snap elections which is seen as likely to benefit the far right. Analysts say the PS decision was influenced by political math and the risk that a snap poll would further fragment the legislature.
A divided parliament and economic strains
The current crisis has roots in President Macron’s June 2024 decision to call snap parliamentary elections after poor European election results. The gamble left France with a deeply split legislature: a centrist bloc weakened and gains for both the far right and hard left, making it difficult to pass major legislation and leaving governments vulnerable to confidence votes. That instability has weighed on investor and business confidence as France wrestles with high debt and downgraded ratings.
No-confidence motions loom
Far-right and far-left opposition parties quickly demanded a no-confidence vote after Lecornu’s reappointment; only a slim margin is needed to force his fall. Analysts note that Lecornu’s survival depends on a delicate balance of parties and the approval of a contested 2026 budget. A balance that could tip at any moment.
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