Invoking Article 49.3: "We must know when to end a political crisis," says Lecornu

"Now we have to move forward. There is a crisis that started in September. I now believe that we must know how to end a political crisis and that is also why I have taken my responsibility," the Prime Minister said during a press briefing.

He reiterated his "regret" at having to activate this much-criticized constitutional tool -- again on Friday morning on the "spending" part of the budget-- which he had renounced in October to appease the socialists with whom he finally forged a compromise on the budget.

After this "first mission" of getting a budget adopted, which President Emmanuel Macron had entrusted to him, he acknowledged that "very soon, the presidential campaign will begin" and that in this context "the government's projection" on the continuation of reforms "will be realistic".

But "we're not going to do nothing. There will be no inaction" because "there are issues that cannot wait and it is patriotic to say that we will work as long as the President and Parliament entrust us with this mission," he added.

"That applies to me, that applies to the ministers. Once again, that's the advantage, you know, of not having an agenda," added the Prime Minister, thus seeming to rule out a candidacy for the Elysée.

"Now, the goal of the maneuver is to be as useful as possible and not to settle into a kind of routine in which we talk about the problems saying that it will be great later. No, we are going to make sure that it is better now," he insisted.

He reiterated in this regard that he wanted "the government to stay as far removed as possible from the presidential campaign" and for the budget to be examined "in depth." Some political leaders, including some within his own party, are questioning the savings in this budget and how the deficit can be reduced to 5%.

Economy Minister Roland Lescure expressed his wish to "do everything possible in 2026 to hopefully have good news on growth".

The head of government recalled that the growth forecasts "used to construct the PLF (the draft finance bill, editor's note) are very, very, very conservative forecasts and that therefore it is indeed on savings that we have largely built the overall plan".

After overcoming two motions of censure presented by the RN and the non-socialist left in the morning and using a second 49.3 on the "spending" part of the budget, Sébastien Lecornu went to Rosny-sous-Bois to present the budget's responses to the housing crisis, one of the country's "major emergencies".