French PM Bayrou to push budget through without vote and face confidence vote
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said he is ready to force his government’s budget through without a vote in parliament using a controversial constitutional mechanism, which would trigger a motion of no-confidence from the left. The Socialists and the far-right National Rally have not yet indicated whether or not they would support the motion.
Without a parliamentary majority, Bayrou and his government are unlikely to get enough votes to get a new draft of the 2025 budget passed through the National Assembly.
The assembly is set to examine Monday a new text that was drawn up by a joint committee of deputies and senators.
Bayrou has vowed to move forward with the budget anyway, which means he would invoke article 49.3 of the constitution, which previous Prime Ministers have done, to force it through.
"A country like ours cannot remain without a budget," he told the Sunday newspaper La Tribune Dimanche. "The only way is to hold the government responsible. This will be done this Monday."
Bayrou's predecessor, Michel Barnier, was forced out after only three months in office in a no-confidence vote in December after using the same mechanism.
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