French National Assembly Rejects Third No-Confidence Motion on Social Security Budget

The government secures passage of the contentious 2025 Social Security budget, which now heads to the Senate for final approval.

The National Assembly rejected a third motion of censure with 121 votes, far short of the 289 required to topple the government.
Prime Minister François Bayrou invoked Article 49.3 three times to push through the 2025 Social Security budget after contentious negotiations.
Key concessions included a €1 billion increase for hospitals, scrapping plans to raise patient out-of-pocket costs, and abandoning a proposal for seven unpaid work hours annually.
The budget projects a widening deficit of over €22 billion in 2025, up from the initial estimate of €16 billion, partly due to delayed approval and economic challenges.
The Senate is scheduled to review the budget next week, with the government aiming for adoption without further changes to finalize the legislative process.