PARIS: French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu weathered two confidence motions on Thursday just days after appointing his new government.
The votes followed Lecornu’s decision on Tuesday to back suspending a divisive 2023 pension reform that would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.
This concession aimed to keep his cabinet afloat long enough to pass a much-needed austerity budget by year’s end.
The leftist Socialist party had threatened to vote to oust the premier if he did not move to freeze the controversial pension reform.
Without Socialist support, two separate motions brought by the hard-left France Unbowed and far-right National Rally fell short of the votes needed to topple Lecornu.
Socialist lawmaker Laurent Baumel warned that sparing the premier was not a long-term agreement and urged new concessions in upcoming budget talks.
France has been mired in political paralysis since President Emmanuel Macron called snap elections last year aiming to consolidate his power.
The vote instead resulted in a hung parliament and gains for the far right.
Lecornu must now steer a cost-cutting budget through a deeply divided parliament before the end of the year.
The confidence votes followed a dramatic fortnight in French politics that saw Lecornu resign and then be reappointed days later.
Under pressure from the European Union to rein in its deficit and debt, France faces an uphill battle over cost-cutting measures.
France’s debt-to-GDP ratio is the EU’s third-highest after Greece and Italy and close to twice the bloc’s 60% ceiling.
Lecornu has pledged not to invoke a constitutional tool used to push through every budget without a vote since 2022.
The 39-year-old Macron loyalist emphasised that the government would make suggestions, debate, and put all bills to vote.
National Rally’s Marine Le Pen accused lawmakers of granting Lecornu a reprieve out of terror of elections.
The far right sees its best chance yet to take power in the 2027 presidential race when Macron’s second term ends. – AFP
