Overview
- Plenary debate restarted on January 13 from the Senate’s version, with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu attending and the government insisting that nothing is excluded.
- Officials cite three procedural paths — a vote, Article 49.3, or Article 47 ordinances — and acknowledge that using ordinances for a budget would be unprecedented and politically explosive.
- The Assembly’s Finance Committee rejected both the revenue and spending titles last week, and roughly 3,423 amendments have been filed for this reading, signaling a rough examination.
- Sticking points include a surtax on large companies, a proposed levy on patrimonial holdings, contributions from local authorities, and the treatment of the income tax scale, with a Socialist abstention alone viewed as insufficient.
- The government says a final budget is needed by the end of January and reiterates that censure would mean dissolution, with preparations requested for potential snap legislative elections alongside the March 15 and 22 municipal votes.