Former French President François Hollande recommends that the government initiate discussions with the socialists for the 2027 budget in order to reach a “compromise” that can be quickly adopted through Article 49.3 this autumn. “The budget must be prepared from now on in consultation with opposition groups who want to ensure the stability of the country,” he stated on Thursday to Politico.
“My preference would be to find a compromise before the summer break, and trigger Article 49.3 after a brief budget discussion, to avoid opportunistic votes and escalation during an election period,” he added. If the risk of censure cannot be ruled out, “no one wants to censor a government six months before a presidential election,” said the former president, who is now a deputy for Corrèze.
“A budget like this will not include ‘structural reforms,’ but will ensure ‘minimal stability,'” emphasized François Hollande, who noted that the subject has not yet been discussed within the PS group in the Assembly. Examination of the 2027 budget is set to begin in early October. A public finance alert committee will meet on Tuesday, with political forces invited. This is an opportunity to review the execution of the 2026 budget and look ahead to the next one.
As a reminder, the 2026 budget was reluctantly adopted at the beginning of the year, after lengthy discussions with the PS and a non-censure agreement, which included the freezing of pension reform.
