Overview
- La France Insoumise unveiled an online petition asserting that being overdrawn will be prohibited from November 20, 2026, saying customers would need bank approval for each overdraft, and reported more than 15,000 signatures within hours.
- The government has transposed an EU directive by ordinance that will require banks to assess a client’s solvency before authorizing any overdraft, regardless of amount or duration, beginning November 20, 2026, while stressing this does not ban overdrafts.
- Under the reform, overdrafts and short “facilité de caisse” will be treated as consumer credit, triggering affordability checks and clearer information on costs for customers.
- LFI argues rising prices force households to rely on overdrafts, has filed a bill to establish a right to overdraft and curb fees, and is seeking a parliamentary vote to repeal the measure.
- The banking lobby criticizes the change as disproportionate and operationally burdensome, and studies cited in coverage indicate a significant share of households use overdrafts monthly or at least once a year.