French PM Faces Tightrope Budget Talks

The French Prime Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, is trying to pass the 2026 budget.

He wants to do this without using a special rule that would force the budget through without a vote, which he promised not to do.

But the different groups in parliament have very different ideas about the budget, and it's hard to find a middle ground.

The Socialists want higher taxes on big companies and no cuts to welfare.

The conservatives, who control the Senate, have removed those tax hikes, making the deficit worse.

If the Prime Minister can't get everyone to agree, he might have to use that special rule, which could lead to a vote that might make his government fall.

Everyone is watching closely because France has the biggest deficit in the euro zone, and they need to reduce it to under 3% by 2029.