French Lawmakers Prepare Final Vote on 2026 Social Security Budget

A general view of The National Assembly, France’s lower house parliament, during a session on the postponement of the general renewal of the Congress and Provincial Assemblies of New Caledonia, in Paris, on Oct. 22, 2025. Alain Jocard/AFP via Getty ImagesFrench lawmakers are set to vote on France’s 2026 social security budget on Dec. 9, capping a fractious week in Parliament as Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu worked to hold together a fragile minority coalition and avert what he said would be a slide into uncontrolled spending.The social security financing bill (PLFSS), which accounts for more than 40 percent of overall public-sector outlays and covers welfare, healthcare, and pensions, is a central component of France’s annual budgeting process, which runs from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31.