Sawt Falasteen - France PM forces part of budget through parliament without vote

Lecornu will have to repeat the measure twice more to enact the full budget into law, facing multiple no-confidence votes tabled by opposition parties.

"Things are now at an impasse. The text can no longer be voted on. And we believe France must have a budget," the prime minister told the National Assembly.

"Since parliament is unable to see through its responsibility of giving the nation a budget" he had to resort to a constitutional measure to force bills into law, he said, while rebuking political groups for having blocked them.

Lecornu is now counting on the support of the Socialists, a key swing group in the lower chamber, to survive no-confidence votes, which the opposition have vowed to table.

President Emmanuel Macron praised the draft budget on Monday for keeping the country's deficit to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), saying it "allows the country to move forward".

Macron noted it "required compromises and concessions from everyone".

However, the move marked a rowback for Lecornu who pledged last year to seek parliament's approval, in a bid to avoid the fate of his two predecessors who were ousted over budget negotiations.

But on Monday, Lecornu conceded with "a certain degree of regret and a bit of bitterness" that he had to invoke the power to push the budget through.

"It's a partial success, partial failure," he said.

- No-confidence threat -

Any use of "Article 49.3", the constitutional power being used to push the legislation through parliament without a vote, can trigger a no-confidence vote, which can topple the government.

The hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) announced it had filled such a motion after the article was put into force, which the Greens and Communists plan to join.

The far-right National Rally (RN) are expected to table a motion as well.

The Socialists are not expected to vote for the LFI motion, convinced that 49.3 is "the least bad solution" and that they have won substantive victories, which should keep Lecornu in power.

"We will not censure the government," party leader Olivier Faure told radio broadcaster France Inter.

The Socialists have acknowledged "progress" on this latest draft, with the party chair Boris Vallaud pointing to changes including an increase in a top-up benefit for the lowest-paid employees and the rollout of one-euro meals for students.

The next section of the budget to require Article 49.3 is expected to be delivered to parliament on Friday.

After another motion of no confidence, the text must then be reviewed by the upper-house Senate before returning to the National Assembly for final adoption. This is expected to happen in mid-February.

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O.Mousa--SF-PST