As France kicks off its political season ahead of the 2027 presidential election, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has declared that passing the 2027 budget is his administration's primary challenge.
Speaking to French daily Le Parisien, Lecornu emphasized that with less than eight months until the first round of the presidential election and no working majority in the National Assembly, his goal is to prevent a political deadlock. To achieve this, he promised a budget featuring measures that "for the most part, can be reversed by the new majority that emerges from the ballot box." The Prime Minister ruled out tax increases, focusing instead on an agricultural "rescue plan" and a reform of sick leave.
Lecornu also firmly ruled out any personal presidential ambitions, stating, "I don't know in what language I have to say it, I am not a candidate in the presidential election. I am not getting involved in the presidential campaign." On Saturday, the Prime Minister attended the summer school of the Laboratoire de la République—a movement founded by former education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer—in Sens.
The budget proposals are already facing fierce opposition. Olivier Faure, the First Secretary of the Socialist Party (PS), issued a stern warning during his party's summer meetings. "If the document that comes out of these debates is the one put forward by Messrs. Attal and Philippe with the support of the far right, then I am telling you we will vote to censure it!" Faure declared. He urged the left to "build a barrier" against what he described as an alliance between "the far right" and "big money," proclaiming that "the hour of ecological socialism has struck" while keeping his own intentions regarding a left-wing primary quiet.
Meanwhile, Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right Rassemblement national (RN), used his visit to the Châlons-en-Champagne fair in the Marne to signal his party's readiness. Bardella insisted that the RN had "worked hard this summer on a programme to get the country back on its feet" and on the upcoming "presidential campaign." Although previously considered a potential candidate, Bardella has stepped aside to support Marine Le Pen's presidential bid.
The political landscape also saw a notable debate on Saturday between former Socialist President François Hollande, whose presidential ambitions for 2027 appear to be expanding, and Édouard Philippe, leader of the Horizons party. Speaking at the Laboratoire de la République summer school, both men warned against the influence of the RN and the leftist La France insoumise (LFI). Hollande stated, "In a country that is so divided, where discord has taken hold, where there is a form of radicalism, of populism, where people are set against one another, we must unite (…) against all those who divide."
Philippe, who aims to unite the political right and center, echoed this sentiment, advising caution regarding both populist parties "not because they are illegitimate in the public debate, but because they divide." However, the two differed sharply on economic solutions: Hollande advocated for an "increase in taxation," while Philippe argued for "keeping a lid on" social spending.
