France's prime minister says he will not utilize special constitutional powers to pass budget

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on Friday ruled out using special constitutional powers to ram the budget through parliament without a vote, putting the onus on lawmakers to agree on a compromise. Lecornu's pledge came ahead of crunch talks with political rivals – the Socialist party and far-right Rassemblement National (National Rally or RN) – over how to pass a slimmed-down 2026 budget, a complex legislative balancing act that could lead to his ouster. [ . . . ] The special clause in article 49.3 of the constitution allows the prime minister to skip votes and ram bills through parliament, but leaves it exposed to a no-confidence vote that can bring down the government. Critics argue it is disrespectful of lawmakers and undemocratic, but Lecornu's predecessors have often used it to pass complex legislation.
Read the full article here: France24