French prime minister Sebastien Lecornu weathered two confidence motions Thursday, just days after appointing his new government and making a key political concession to stay in power.
The votes followed Lecornu鈥檚 decision Tuesday to back suspending a divisive 2023 pension reform, in a bid to keep his cabinet afloat long enough to pass a much-needed austerity budget by year鈥檚 end.
The leftist Socialist party had threatened to vote to oust the premier if he didn鈥檛 move to freeze the reform that would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.
Without PS support, two separate motions brought on Thursday by the hard-left France Unbowed and far-right National Rally fell short of the votes needed to topple Lecornu.
But PS lawmaker Laurent Baumel warned Thursday that sparing the premier 鈥榳as in no way a pact鈥� for the future, urging 鈥榥ew concessions鈥� in the looming budget talks.
France, the eurozone鈥檚 second-largest economy, has been mired in political paralysis since President Emmanuel Macron called snap elections last year aiming to consolidate his power.
The vote instead resulted in a hung parliament and gains for the far right.
Lecornu, the president鈥檚 seventh premier since 2017, must now steer a cost-cutting budget through a deeply divided parliament before the end of the year, in what is expected to be a bruising fight.
The confidence votes followed a dramatic fortnight in French politics.
Lecornu, who became prime minister last month, resigned last Monday after criticism of his first cabinet, only to be reappointed days later and unveil a reshuffled team in time to submit a draft budget to parliament.
Under pressure from the European Union to rein in its deficit and debt, France faces an uphill battle over cost-cutting measures that felled Lecornu鈥檚 two predecessors.
France鈥檚 debt-to-GDP ratio is the EU鈥檚 third-highest after Greece and Italy, and is close to twice the bloc鈥檚 60 per cent ceiling.
Lecornu has pledged not to invoke a constitutional tool used to push through every budget without a vote since 2022 and vowed to put all bills to debate.
鈥楾he government will make suggestions, we will debate, and you will vote,鈥� the 39-year-old Macron loyalist emphasised in a speech to lawmakers Tuesday.
But the opposition has challenged his optimism.
The National Rally鈥檚 Marine Le Pen accused lawmakers of granting Lecornu a reprieve out of 鈥榯error of elections鈥�, saying she was waiting with 鈥榞rowing impatience鈥� for parliament鈥檚 dissolution.
The far right sees its best chance yet to take power in the 2027 presidential race, when Macron鈥檚 second and final term ends.
