French PM Secures Narrow Social-Security Vote After Key Deal

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu won a narrow parliamentary vote on Tuesday as the National Assembly approved the 2026 social-security financing bill after extended negotiations with multiple parties.

The measure passed with 247 votes in favour, 234 against, and 93 abstentions, reflecting the government’s limited parliamentary leverage and the fragmented political environment.

To obtain Socialist Party support, Lecornu agreed to suspend the 2023 pension-age reform until after the 2027 presidential election. The suspension marked a significant adjustment to a policy the government had previously prioritised. Socialist lawmakers said their support focused on maintaining continuity in healthcare, pensions and welfare funding during the upcoming fiscal year.

• French PM Sébastien Lecornu narrowly passes 2026 social-security bill after key pension-reform deal
• Suspension of pension-age reform secures Socialist backing but deepens political fractures
• National Assembly vote highlights fragile minority government and rising fiscal pressures

The agreement prompted objections from centrists and conservatives, including members of Les Républicains and Horizons, who argued that delaying the reform weakens efforts to stabilise long-term public-finance commitments. Several lawmakers from these groups abstained or opposed the bill, stating that the government’s concessions did not address structural gaps in the social-security system.

The approved bill maintains allocations for healthcare, pension payments and key welfare programmes. Despite adjustments to spending and revenue plans, a social-security deficit approaching €20 billion remains projected for 2026. Government officials noted that the budget aims to prevent disruptions in essential services while working within a legislature where no bloc holds a majority.

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The outcome allows the government to advance to the upcoming state-budget discussions scheduled later this month. Those votes are expected to involve further negotiations with parties whose support cannot be assumed. Lecornu now faces a sequence of budget-related decisions in which each vote will depend on shifting parliamentary alignments. Tuesday’s result provides temporary legislative progress while underscoring the constraints facing a minority government operating through negotiated support rather than stable coalition backing.