Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Senate Rebuffs Pension Concession as French Budget Impasse Widens

To break the deadlock, the prime minister is launching indicative votes on national priorities to test support beyond formal budget votes.

Overview

  • The right-led Senate voted 190–108 to reject suspending the Borne pension reform and also restored a 2026 freeze on pensions and social benefits, with protections maintained for pensions under about €1,400.
  • With a cross‑chamber deal unlikely, officials expect the joint committee on the social security budget to fail, sending the text back to the National Assembly for a new reading next week.
  • After the Assembly’s overwhelming rejection of the revenue bill (404 against, 1 for, 84 abstentions), Sébastien Lecornu plans Article 50.1 debates with non‑binding votes, starting with a defense strategy vote on December 10.
  • The government says it is not considering Article 49.3 at this stage, and President Emmanuel Macron expressed “good hope” of a compromise in the coming weeks, as Lecornu insists a majority can still be found before year‑end.
  • A socialist plan for a compulsory zero‑interest loan from roughly 20,000 wealthy households drew sharp criticism and was rejected by the finance minister, even as discussion of the idea surfaced during Senate budget debates.