Budget 2025: The Socialist Party Abstains from Censuring the Bayrou Government

As the National Assembly reviews the 2025 budget this Monday, February 3, the Socialist Party has made its decision: it will not vote to censure François Bayrou’s government. This stance, decided during a national committee meeting, does not signal support for the Prime Minister but rather a desire to avoid an institutional crisis. However, some Socialist MPs do not rule out supporting a motion of censure once the budget is adopted.

Lacking an absolute majority, François Bayrou has confirmed he will invoke Article 49.3 twice to pass the state budget and the first part of the social security budget. This maneuver bypasses a parliamentary vote but fuels discontent within the opposition.

La France Insoumise has already announced it will submit a motion of censure, which could gain support from the Greens and Communists. Meanwhile, the National Rally remains ambiguous. Its MP Jean-Philippe Tanguy called the finance bill “worse than having no budget at all,” while noting that the final decision rests with Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella.

If no motion of censure succeeds, the government hopes to enact the budget by the end of February. However, tensions persist within the Socialist Party, which is already planning to file a “values-based” motion of censure in response to remarks by the Prime Minister on immigration, deemed unacceptable by parts of the left.

This budgetary episode marks a pivotal moment for François Bayrou, facing a divided yet determined opposition challenging his governance.