France PM weathers no-trust votes

PARIS:

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Tuesday survived two new no-confidence votes after forcing his budget through the lower house, clearing a key hurdle toward its final adoption.

The motions came days after Lecornu weathered two separate, largely symbolic no-confidence challenges on Friday, triggered by his decision to ram through the income section of the 2026 state budget without a parliamentary vote.

He then announced he would do the same with the expense part of the budget, prompting the hard left to file another no-confidence motion. The National Assembly on Tuesday rejected that motion, along with a separate one tabled by the far right.