French parliament set for no-confidence votes – Europe live | France
French parliament prepares for vote of confidence
Welcome to us European blog An eventful day is expected french parliament Two votes of no confidence were planned.
Prime minister, Sébastien LecornuBut his government looks set to survive after he offered to suspend President Emmanuel Macron’s groundbreaking pension reform To get support from the left.
socialistsLeaders who hold the key to Lecornu’s political survival welcomed the move, saying they would not support no-confidence motions, one from the far left and the other from the far right National Rally.
The outcome is still expected to be close, including potential rebels from the Socialists or conservatives, Reuters reported. Republicans injecting some doubt into the outcome.
There are 265 MPs in parliament from parties that say they will vote to oust Lecornu, with only 289 votes needed to oust him.
By setting aside pension reform, Lecornu threatens to destroy one of Macron’s key economic legacies. Public finance of France They are in a dangerous situation. The country is in the midst of its worst political crisis in decades as successive minority governments try to push deficit-cutting budgets through a brutal legislature split into three distinct ideological blocs.
Meanwhile, the Socialists are trying to capitalize on their existing power with a new reform initiative. flagship wealth tax Increasing revenue by targeting France’s richest people.
The debate is already ongoing. I will give you updates and reactions as they come.
His Thursday, 16 October 2025I Amy Sedghi and this Europe Live.
Good morning.
important events
What do socialists want?
Angelique Chrisafis
If Sébastien Lecornu survives today’s votes, it will depend on his support. socialistsThe Prime Minister said he would not support either measure after proposing to delay President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms that would raise the retirement age to 64.
But the centre-left party is trying to take advantage of the unprecedented political crisis and is now proposing:Zucman tax” takes its name from an idea put forward by French economist Gabriel Zucman. A 2 percent tax will be applied to wealth over 100 million eurosThis will affect approximately 0.01% of taxpayers.
The socialist party leadership is pinning its hopes on the parliamentary debate promised by Lecornu. 2026 budget objected. The budget aims to reduce the budget deficit from 5.4% of GDP this year to 4.7%. A squeeze exceeding 30 billion EurosThese include cuts to corporate tax breaks, stricter rules on welfare contributions and new taxes.
Their leader, Olivier Faure, wrote on social media: “In the debate ahead, We on the left will work together to defend the Zucman tax and public services and protecting the poorest.” He said that if the Zucman tax is not passed, “we will have other proposals on various ways to target large fortunes, high wealth and large corporations.”
But their preferred measure will face opposition Macron’s centrists.
Le Pen is in legal trouble
We’ve already heard that in this morning’s debate. Marine Le Penwho’s? National Rally He put forward one of today’s votes of no confidence against Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
But the far-right leader has his own problems. Yesterday France’s highest administrative court rejected him Challenging election rulesIt dealt a blow to efforts to overturn a conviction that could derail his candidacy in the 2027 presidential election.
Le Pen was banned from holding public office for five years in March After the Paris criminal court convicted him and other members of his party for misappropriating funds. He said that the case and the decision were politically motivated.
The final decision is expected in January, but Le Pen filed a separate appeal with the Council of State, France’s highest administrative court, objecting to election rules that could prevent her from running for parliament again.
The Council of State stated that Le Pen’s objection “does not aim to repeal the regulatory provisions, but rather change the lawIt was stated that the articles he objected to either did not exist or were irrelevant.
The Paris criminal court’s decision in March gave Le Pen a four-year prison sentence, including a two-year prison sentence, a fine of 100,000 euros ($116,230.00) and a five-year ban on public office, which can be imposed immediately despite pending appeals. The decision left him in doubt Ability to run for office in the 2027 presidential electionremains a leading contender.
Jon Henley
Learn more about how we got here…
Lecornu was first appointed by Macron in September. But just over two weeks ago when the prime minister announced his new cabinet, which turned out to be almost identical to the old one. faced the wrath of allies and rivals alike.
So much so that he resigned the next day. After just 27 days in office, Lecornu became the shortest-lived prime minister in modern French history. In a dignified speech, he denounced political intransigence and said “partisan attitudes” and “certain egos” would make his job nearly impossible.
Then another development in the story: Just hours after Lecornu’s resignation, Macron asked him to remain in office for another 48 hours as a last resort to salvage cross-party support; a task that was not without complications, to say the least.
But Lecornu continued his work and spoke to anyone who was ready to listen. It was gone after 48 hours on TV He said he believed “there is still a way” to prevent the elections. Macron’s office confirmed that the president will appoint a new prime minister two days later.
Macron kept his word and appointed Sébastien Lecornu again last Friday.
Jon Henley
The last prime minister was recently reappointed Sébastien LecornuHe may have bought a postponement of execution by sacrificing himself on Tuesday Emmanuel Macron’s flagship pension overhaul in exchange for opposition Socialist He votes as the price of his government’s survival.
But this is a temporary solution at best. EU‘s second-largest economy has been trapped in a political permanent crisis the likes of which have been unprecedented for decades, perhaps since the beginning of the crisis. Fifth Republic in 1958 – and it seems that escape from here is not easy.
Key context: Since Macron said it was not recommended Early general election in 2024, France had hung the parliament It is divided into three conflicting blocs: the left, the far right and its own centre-right alliance; none of them are close to the majority.
At the same time, the country is facing dual debt and deficit crises: his debt to GDP ratio And budget deficit it is now almost twice the EU limit and there are tough constitutional deadlines for a law to be passed. 2026 budget At least they are close to starting to rein in spending.
Against this unforgiving backdrop, Lecornu’s two immediate predecessors as French prime minister – Michel BarnierLasting from September to December 2024 and François BayrouThose who were in office from December 2024 to September 2025 were dismissed parliament.
There is live broadcast French parliament debate at the top of this blog. You may need to refresh the page to view it. Also note that the discussion will be in French and there will be no translation in the video. Marine Le Pen speaking now.
French parliament prepares for vote of confidence
Welcome to us European blog An eventful day is expected french parliament Two votes of no confidence were planned.
Prime minister, Sébastien LecornuBut his government looks set to survive after he offered to suspend President Emmanuel Macron’s groundbreaking pension reform To get support from the left.
socialistsLeaders who hold the key to Lecornu’s political survival welcomed the move, saying they would not support no-confidence motions, one from the far left and the other from the far right National Rally.
The outcome is still expected to be close, including potential rebels from the Socialists or conservatives, Reuters reported. Republicans injecting some doubt into the outcome.
There are 265 MPs in parliament from parties that say they will vote to oust Lecornu, with only 289 votes needed to oust him.
By setting aside pension reform, Lecornu threatens to destroy one of Macron’s key economic legacies. Public finance of France They are in a dangerous situation. The country is in the midst of its worst political crisis in decades as successive minority governments try to push deficit-cutting budgets through a brutal legislature split across three distinct ideological blocs.
Meanwhile, the Socialists are trying to capitalize on their existing power with a new reform initiative. flagship wealth tax Increasing revenue by targeting France’s richest people.
The debate is already ongoing. I will give you updates and reactions as they come.
His Thursday, 16 October 2025I Amy Sedghi and this Europe Live.
Good morning.
