France Closes In on Budget as Premier Survives Censure Votes (1)

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu survived renewed attempts to oust him over his plans for France’s public finances, bringing the country a step closer to securing a 2026 budget.

A censure motion from far-left lawmakers in the National Assembly won 267 votes, falling short of the 289 required to reject the spending chapter of the finance bill and force the premier to resign. A separate proposal from the far right also failed with just 140 votes.

The results echo the outcomes of no-confidence ballots last week over the prime minister’s taxation plans. The repeated defeats of attempts to topple Lecornu clear ...