The government is in a race against time to pass the draft finance bill (PLF) and the draft Social Security financing bill (PLFSS), which are essential to the functioning of the state and must be enacted by December 31, 2025, to take effect on January 1. The rejection of the first part of the PLF by the National Assembly has blocked the standard procedure and plunged the executive branch into an unprecedented institutional situation.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu refuses to invoke Article 49.3, which forces the executive branch to secure parliamentary majorities that have become difficult to achieve. The late submission of bills and the slow pace of debates increase the risk of failing to meet constitutional deadlines. If these efforts fail, the executive branch may have to resort to a special budget law or executive orders to ensure the state’s minimal functioning in 2026.
To find a way forward, the Prime Minister is proposing thematic votes on «top priorities» such as defense, security, agriculture, energy, government reform, and the path of the public deficit. Based on Article 50-1 of the Constitution, these votes are nonbinding but would make it possible to gauge whether ad hoc majorities exist on key issues. Lecornu also hopes to bring together political forces and social partners to try to reach compromises on major national initiatives.
This strategy aims to avoid a deadlock and restore momentum that will ultimately lead to the adoption of the 2026 budget, even though uncertainty remains high with less than forty days to go before the deadline.
