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France heads into a crunch vote Thursday as Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu faces twin no‑confidence motions from France Unbowed and Marine Le Pen’s National Rally. Failure could push President Emmanuel Macron to dissolve the National Assembly, with elections of uncertain outcome. With 289 votes needed, the opposition tallies remain short despite potential left-wing support, while Socialists and Republicans could decide the result. Lecornu suspended the unpopular retirement‑age hike to woo backing amid 2026 budget talks. Even survival may be fleeting; one analyst calls the situation 'extremely precarious.'

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.