France battles political crisis as Lecornu undergoes confidence test
(MENAFN) France’s Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu addressed parliament on Tuesday with a policy speech aimed at easing mounting political tensions and preventing a looming no-confidence vote. He pledged to “share power with MPs” and announced the suspension of the controversial 2023 pension reform until January 2028 — a major concession designed to calm discontent across the political spectrum.
At 39, Lecornu — a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron — sought to cast himself as a practical leader capable of bridging divides. “There are urgent measures to take without delay — that is our duty,” he declared, insisting that “a crisis of regime will not happen.”
In a bid to rebuild trust, he vowed to abandon the use of Article 49.3, a constitutional tool that enables the government to pass budgets without parliamentary approval. Lecornu also outlined plans for a national conference on pensions and employment, alongside a special contribution from wealthy citizens to fund investments tied to national sovereignty. “We must prove that social justice and fiscal seriousness can go hand in hand,” he said.
Despite his conciliatory tone, opposition parties reacted sharply. Both Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Insoumise (LFI) and Jordan Bardella’s far-right Rassemblement National (RN) submitted censure motions, accusing the government of “clinging to power” and condemning the pension suspension as “a cynical maneuver.”
Eric Ciotti called on right-wing lawmakers to unite under a new “Union of the Right,” pledging support for the censure effort. Meanwhile, the Socialist Party (PS), which holds a decisive position in the assembly, rejected cooperation with either extreme but hinted it could introduce its own motion if Lecornu’s commitments proved “too vague.”
As Lecornu faces this critical test, France’s political crisis appears far from resolved — and the prime minister’s ability to maintain confidence in a fractured parliament remains uncertain.
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