French Prime Minister François Bayrou invoked special executive powers on Monday to push through the 2025 budget proposal without a vote, prompting a no-confidence motion by the hard-left France Unbowed party.
Bayrou used the Article 49.3 to push through both the first part of the Social Security financing bill (PLFSS) and the state budget.
A sustainable budget plan for this year is Bayrou's priority after the austerity budget plan of his predecessor, Michel Barnier, was jettisoned along with his government in December.
However, Bayrou's move immediately prompted two no-confidence motions from the left in the divided parliament, spearheaded by MPs from the far-left France Unbowed (LFI).
"This illegitimate government must fall," France Unbowed coordinator Manuel Bompard wrote on social media platform X.
France has 'one of the worst deficits' in its history, minister says
Bompard said the cuts to environment, housing, work, national education and research would be disastrous for ordinary French people.
However, the two motions put forward by his party have little chance of being voted through.
This comes after the Socialist MPs confirmed on Monday that they would not vote against the government, despite their criticism of what they termed "a right-wing budget".
Eric Coquerel (LFI) the president of the parliament’s Finance Committee said that the Socialist Party's concessions were "only the shrub that poorly hides the austerity forest".
He called the budget proposal "worse than the one of Michel Barnier".
Watered-down draft
The watered-down draft is the result of a compromise reached on Friday by 14 senators and deputies in a mixed committee (CMP.)
"No country can live without a budget," Bayrou told the National Assembly earlier on Monday ahead of the debate, urging MPs to decide on a budget, "which will show responsibility and stability".
Adopting the budget will allow the government to maintain the deficit at 5.4 percent of GDP, according to Bayrou.
The Socialist Party said in a press release that it did not want to see France in an extended period of financial limbo and would therefore "in a spirit of responsibility" not back the no-confidence vote.
French PM survives first no-confidence vote in parliament
Bayrou already managed to convince the Socialists not to back a no-confidence motion against him earlier this year in a major victory that heralded the end of the New Popular Front (NFP), a broad left-wing alliance that had endured since the election campaign.
But the Socialists broke off talks with Bayrou's administration last week after he referred to migrants "flooding" France, borrowing from terminology used by the far right.
In a symbolic move, the party leadership decided Monday to table a separate no-confidence motion in response to Bayrou's "flooding" comments, according to party sources.
The move was not expected to be supported by the far right or centre right and therefore will not help topple Bayrou's government, party sources said.
Far-right keeps up suspense
The far-right National Rally (RN) whose votes are necessary for a no-confidence vote to succeed, said it will decide on Wednesday.
RN's president Jordan Bardella said: "We need to avoid uncertainty because many of our fellow citizens... are extremely worried about possible long-term instability."
Jean-Philippe Tanguy, an MP for the RN said on Sunday that the budget proposal was "worse than having no budget at all" and that he himself would support a no-confidence vote.
The adoption of the budget and survival of Bayrou's government would represent a huge relief for President Macron.
New legislative elections cannot take place before July – one year after July's legislative elections so the toppling of Bayrou's government would plunge France into uncharted political waters.
Bayrou is Macron's sixth prime minister since taking office in 2017. The president has faced calls to step down but has insisted he will serve out his term in full.
(With newswires)
