France’s Fiscal Reckoning: Can Lecornu defy gravity, as he seeks compromise and coalition-building ?

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Angela Diffley is joined by fellow journalist Antonia Kerrigan and Damien Lecomte, Political Scientist and Lecturer at the University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne, to offer in-depth analysis and perspective to the highwire act of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s minority government. Mr. Lecomte underscores a significant shift in strategy: unlike his predecessors, Lecornu has broken from Macron-era rigidity by courting Socialist party support through meaningful concessions on pension reform and wealth taxation. Yet this turn toward compromise comes at a cost: He must still solicit support from the fractured and embittered Republicans. Meanwhile, the National Rally is openly calling for Lecornu’s downfall, pledging to vote against the government at every opportunity. In this volatile landscape, Mr. Lecomte argues, the coming budget negotiations will be the true test. As Lecornu seeks to build on the fragile momentum of cross-party dialogue and compromise, failure to do so risks pushing France deeper into institutional and political crisis.