France Passes 2026 Budget After No-Confidence Votes Fail

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu delivers a statement at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, on Oct. 3, 2025. Alain Jocard/APThe French Parliament cleared the way for the country’s 2026 budget on Feb. 2 after two no-confidence motions failed, allowing Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s minority government to claim a fragile victory following nearly two years of political turmoil.The final votes, recorded on the National Assembly’s website on Feb. 2, brought to a close a protracted budget standoff that had rattled financial markets in Europe’s second-largest economy.