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LoginFrench PM Warns Budget Approval Failure Could Fuel Political, Financial Uncertainty
Paris, August 29 (QNA) - Failure to approve a national budget before the upcoming presidential election could plunge France into a state of political and financial uncertainty, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu warned Saturday.
Lecornu added that this situation comes amid what he termed major international turmoil and the worrisome developments and challenges facing the country's public finances.
Almost eight months remain until the polls, he said, stressing the importance of avoiding any kind of perturbation during this phase, as the government could continue discharging its duties on the condition that it does not engage in the election campaign.
Intriguingly, Lecornu put it bluntly that he would not run in the 2027 polls, remarking that he is not a candidate in that presidential election.
The budget negotiations are set to start at the end of September 2026, when Lecornu proposes the government's project at a time when the government is beset by a major parliamentary rift, after standoffs over financial plans during the past two years resulted in the fall of the governments of his two predecessors.
His remarks came a day after Fitch Ratings maintained France's credit rating at A+, with a stable outlook, amid continued concerns over the widening deficit and rising levels of public debt.
France's public finances are coming under increasing scrutiny as global bond yields rise and domestic political divisions persist, while Fitch warned that worsening fiscal imbalances and mounting debt could put further pressure on the country's credit rating in the future.
These developments have added to the doom and gloom surrounding France's fiscal outlook.
On foreign policy, the prime minister defended his country's approach based on strategic autonomy, stressing that France is a free ally, an ally but not an aligned one, and remains independent and sovereign in assessing developments and defending its interests.
His remarks came in response to US President Donald Trump's hitting back at Paris over its position during the war against Iran.
On the war in Ukraine, he ruled out France's engagement in a direct war with Russia, saying the country is not at war with Russia, emphasizing that Ukraine has not asked France to engage in a direct conflict with Moscow.
Lecornu further pointed out that France's support for Ukraine included equipment and intelligence that help it protect its airspace, alongside air-defense systems, such as Mistral and Aster missiles deployed as part of SAMP/T air-defense systems, as well as documents concerning Rafale fighter aircraft. (QNA)
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