French PM Lecornu Likely to Survive No-Confidence Votes

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu appears set to survive two no-confidence votes in parliament scheduled for Thursday after offering to suspend President Emmanuel Macron’s landmark pension reform, a move aimed at winning support from the left.

Lecornu, who holds the record as France’s shortest-serving prime minister in modern history before his recent re-appointment, had faced the risk of an even shorter second tenure. However, his offer on Tuesday to delay the pension reform until after the 2027 presidential election appears to have secured crucial support.

The Socialist Party, key to Lecornu’s political survival, welcomed the decision and announced it would not back the two no-confidence motions, one from the far-left and another from the far-right National Rally. Despite this, the outcome remains uncertain as potential rebels from the Socialists or conservative Republicans could influence the vote.

Currently, 265 lawmakers are from parties intending to topple Lecornu, while 289 votes are required to remove him from office, indicating a narrow margin.

On Wednesday, Lecornu addressed parliament, stating he would propose an amendment in November to the social security financing law to suspend the pension reform. By pausing this reform, Lecornu risks halting one of Macron’s major economic achievements, at a time when France faces a precarious financial situation, leaving the president with few domestic successes after eight years in office.

France is undergoing one of its most severe political crises in decades. A series of minority governments are attempting to pass deficit-reducing budgets through a legislature divided into three ideological blocs. The situation has led to intense political negotiations and uncertainty.

In a related development, France’s Socialists indicated they will push to include a tax on billionaires in the 2026 budget, as preliminary discussions over its passage began in parliament on Wednesday.

Lecornu’s move to delay the pension reform demonstrates a strategic effort to stabilize his government while balancing Macron’s economic legacy and the demands of a divided legislature.