How France's 2027 budget battle could play out
EWG•French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's minority government faces opposition over plans for 54 billion euros in budget savings before the 2027 presidential election. Possible routes include using Article 49.3, a rollover law or passing a budget by ordinance.
1. Options for passing a budget
France's budget bill is due to be submitted to parliament on Thursday, where lawmakers have 70 days to debate and amend it. If opposition parties block the proposed 54 billion euros in savings, the government may consider Article 49.3, which allows it to force a budget through without a vote but can prompt a no-confidence motion.
2. Rollover or ordinance
If no budget passes by year-end and the government does not use Article 49.3, it could pass an emergency law extending the 2026 budget. A finance ministry report warned that this could freeze investment and planned defence-spending increases, while widening the deficit by at least half a percentage point and pushing up borrowing costs.
3. Unprecedented route
The government could also try passing a budget by ordinance after mid-December, bypassing parliament. This has never been done in the Fifth Republic, and legal experts view it as likely to trigger a no-confidence vote; an ordinance budget would not automatically be voided if the government fell.
