French Premier’s Budget Push Faces Key Stretch Ahead of Vote

France’s National Assembly is starting a second reading of the 2026 social security budget bill on Tuesday in a crucial test of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s plan to shepherd contested financial legislation through a divided parliament.

The leader of France’s minority government needs to foster an unusual compromise over health and welfare spending among opposing parties before a vote next week. But so far, disagreements between the center left and the center right over pensions, taxation and indexing benefits payments have thwarted the process.