Macronists Warned: 2026 Budget Success Key to Future Elections, Lecornu Tells Party
PARIS – Former Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu delivered a stark warning to elected officials from President Macron‘s Renaissance party, emphasizing that securing passage of the 2026 state budget is critical not only for the country’s success but also for their prospects in upcoming municipal, presidential, and legislative elections. The message, delivered during recent parliamentary days, signals a heightened sense of urgency as Lecornu navigates complex negotiations with social partners and political parties in his new role overseeing the budget.
Lecornu, now tasked with averting the fate of previous ministers who stumbled in managing the budget process – François Bayrou and Michel Barnier – stressed the need for compromise while simultaneously pushing opposition parties to define their limits in supporting a viable budgetary plan. A participant in the Renaissance meetings relayed lecornu’s sentiment: “Said that we were going to make compromises, but not compromises, and that it was then necessary to ask the oppositions how far they are ready to go […] to have a budgetary copy adopted in the interest of making the country succeed.” This comes amid ongoing disagreements, such as the Socialist Party’s insistence, voiced by first Secretary Olivier Faure, that the contested pension reform “Must be repealed.”
The push for budgetary consensus follows scrutiny of Lecornu’s own credentials, with Libération reporting on September 19th that he does not hold the Master of Law degree he previously claimed. Despite this, Lecornu is focused on “remobilizing the troops” and “regaining confidence” within the party, recognizing that future electoral victories will not be easily won. The 2026 budget, therefore, represents a pivotal test for Macron’s governing coalition.
