France's prime minister Sébastien Lecornu at the National Assembly in Paris on Tuesday. Photograph: Magali Cohen/ Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty ImagesFrench lawmakers narrowly approved the ‍2026 social security budget on Tuesday, handing prime minister Sébastien Lecornu a crucial victory but at enormous political cost that could still threaten his fragile government. Socialists backed the bill after Mr Lecornu agreed ⁠to freeze president Emmanuel Macron’s landmark 2023 ⁠pension reform until after the 2027 presidential election. The government aims to cut France’s budget deficit – already one of the ‌euro zone’s largest – to ‌less than 5 per cent of GDP next year. A banner depicting the French president with the text 'Macron despises the Republic' during a demonstration against the state budget.

Source: The Irish Times December 09, 2025 20:57 UTC