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France to Extend €1 University Meals to All Students in Final 2026 Budget

The pledge is a bargaining overture to the Socialists in the final stretch of 2026 budget talks.

Overview

  • Lecornu’s office says the provision will be written into the budget’s final text as negotiations continue with the Socialist Party.
  • Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the €1 price would become a reality from May.
  • The expansion is estimated to cost about €90 million annually, according to Socialist MP Fatiha Keloua-Hachi.
  • The discount has so far been limited to scholarship holders and students in hardship, and a Socialist bill to universalize it passed the National Assembly in January 2025 after more than 500,000 students benefited in 2023–24.
  • Student unions called the move positive but pressed for a clear budget line and resources for Crous, as the government also studies a surtax on large-company profits, adjustments for local authorities, and discussions over the prime d’activité.