French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has already endured a string of no-confidence votes as he pushed the first sections of the 2026 state budget through parliament without a vote

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has already endured a string of no-confidence votes as he pushed the first sections of the 2026 state budget through parliament without a vote

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu forced his budget through parliament without a vote for the third and final time Friday, exposing him to yet another no-confidence motion. 

The decision to use the constitutional tool known as article 49.3 has marked an about-face for Lecornu, who pledged last year to seek parliament's approval, in a bid to avoid the fate of his two predecessors who were ousted over budget negotiations.

Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.