French Prime Minister François Bayrou is set to push through a draft budget without a parliamentary vote, his office confirmed on Monday.
Bayrou plans to invoke Article 49.3 of the constitution, which permits this procedure. He also intends to use the controversial constitutional provision for the first part of the social security draft budget.
In an interview with La Tribune Dimanche over the weekend, Bayrou expressed his intention to approve the budget without a parliamentary vote. He stated: "A country like ours cannot afford to be without a budget. The only option is to invoke the government’s own responsibility."
The Prime Minister made this decision following a mixed parliamentary commission vote on Friday.
Representatives and senators from the ruling parties approved the draft budget, while the opposition voted against it. Given that the government lacks a majority in the National Assembly, the chances of the budget being approved there are slim. Budget discussions in the plenary session began on Monday at 16:00.
By using this measure, Bayrou opens the door to a motion of no confidence against the government. This is the opposition’s only remaining option to block the budget. The situation now depends on the stance of the left-wing PS and the far-right RN.
Later that afternoon, members of the left-wing opposition PS party stated they would not support the motion of no confidence against the French government led by Prime Minister François Bayrou. This means the French government will not collapse again.
Bayrou was appointed Prime Minister in December following his predecessor Michel Barnier’s resignation after a motion of no confidence. Barnier faced the motion after attempting to pass the 2025 budget without a parliamentary vote, also using the same constitutional article.
