©️The World
Paris, 24 October 2025.- By opening the debates in the French National Assembly on the 2026 finance bill this Friday, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called for a new political culture based on dialogue and compromise. He announced that he wanted to bring the government deficit down to 5% by 2026, while promising an increase in the military budget and a major reform of the state.
In the National Assembly, Sébastien Lecornu set the tone for the debates on the 2026 budget, rejected in the Finance Committee. « One can no longer rule by the discipline of a camp alone », he said, calling on Members to make parliamentary history « the compromise ». The Prime Minister stated that he was refusing to make use of section 49.3, wishing that the trades would « to the end ».
Presented as a « transition budget »In his view, the text aims to protect certain achievements, particularly in the area of employment, while laying the foundations for future fiscal and institutional reforms. He stressed the need to value "work, effort and merit", and said he was open to proposals from parliamentary groups, including those of the majority and the centre.
On the economic front, the head of government promised to reduce the government deficit below 5% of GDP in 2026, after 5.8% in 2024 and 5.4% in 2025. He also announced an increase of EUR 6.7 billion in the budget of the armies, stressing France's desire to increase the amount of money available to the armed forces. « more dependent on abroad ». Finally, he referred to a major reform of the State, based on decentralization and clarification of the competences of public actors.
« Do not compromise the future of the country »concluded the Prime Minister, calling on parliamentarians to move beyond the divide to build a sustainable fiscal framework until the presidential election of 2027.
W.A.
