The state budget for 2026 was published in the Official Journal on Friday, the day after its near-complete approval by the Constitutional Council. This publication brings to a close more than four months of parliamentary debate and concludes the budget saga that began last autumn.
The text was considered adopted on February 2nd, after the failure of the motions of censure filed following the government's use of Article 49.3. The Constitutional Council struck down only eight points deemed minor and attached interpretative reservations to two articles.
A deficit reduced to 5% of GDP
The budget projects a reduction in the public deficit to 5% of GDP in 2026, compared to 5,4% in 2025, a target revised upwards from the government's initial proposal. The government emphasizes fiscal stability, despite several tax increases retained in the final text.
The finance law also ratifies targeted cuts in certain expenditures. Defense spending increases by 6,5 billion euros, while other missions see their budgets stagnate or decrease, excluding the core ministries.
With this promulgation, the special law adopted at the end of December, which provisionally extended the 2025 budget due to a lack of agreement, automatically comes to an end.
