France’s political turmoil eased, for now, after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu survived back-to-back no-confidence votes, including a 271-vote motion from France Unbowed, 18 short of toppling the minority government. A second bid from National Rally also failed. The reprieve shifts the fight to the 2026 budget, with debate opening Oct. 24, as Macron’s camp—holding fewer than 200 seats—courts Socialists and Republicans while pledging not to use Article 49.3. To win votes, Lecornu offered a two-year slowdown of the pension reform, adding near-term costs as France targets cutting its deficit from 5.4% of GDP.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.