PARIS, November 25. /TASS/. Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s National Rally parliamentary faction, has warned that she will introduce a resolution on a non-confidence vote to the French government unless the draft state budget for 2025 is changed.
"My position remains unchanged," she told the BFMTV television channel after a meeting with Prime Minister Michel Barnier. "The National Rally faction will support non-confidence in the government if the draft is not amended."
According to Le Pen, her party demands that the government drop its plans to raise electricity taxes. She also warned the prime minister against trying to use Article 49.3 of the French constitution in a bid to pass the budget without approval from parliament.
Article 49.3 of the French government authorizes the government to pass laws without parliamentary voting. However, if the government employs this article, the National Assembly (lower house of parliament) has the right to declare a vote of no confidence in the government within 24 hours.
On November 12, the National Assembly failed to pass its edition of the bill, which was submitted to the Senate (upper house) in its original form. If the Senate adopts its own version of the budget, the bill will be referred to the conciliation commission of both houses of parliament so that they can agree on a compromise version of the budget.
France’s budget for 2025 was drafted by the cabinet that was formed by Prime Minister Michel Barnier in September. The problem with the draft budget is that it would lead to a budget deficit of 148 billion euro by the end of the year. The country’s public debt already exceeds 3.2 trillion euro and its servicing will require 56 billion euro. The National Assembly’s economic commission rejected the draft budget during preliminary hearings.