The government is considering activating Article 49.3 of the Constitution to get the draft budget through the House, according to the spokeswoman

The government has suffered its first defeat with regard to the draft Budget 2025: against its wishes, MPs voted on Tuesday 22 October in favour of extending and making permanent the new tax contribution applicable to high-income households. Discussions on this text continue on Wednesday for a third day of debates. The government is not ruling out the possibility of using Article 49.3 of the Constitution.

The 49.3 envisaged for the 2025 budget: a crucial discussion in the Council of Ministers

The use of Article 49.3 of the Constitution will be at the heart of discussions at the Council of Ministers, scheduled for Wednesday 23 October. Government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon announced this possibility during her appearance on France 2’s “Les 4 V” programme.

She said: ‘We will discuss it as is the rule, it is a constitutional possibility open to the government’. However, she made it clear that the use of this controversial article, which allows a text to be adopted without a vote, ‘is not the Prime Minister’s wish’ and that the government wished to leave the necessary time for debate.

Changes to the surtax on high incomes: a vote that is causing debate

On Tuesday evening, the Members of Parliament adopted the article relating to the surtax on high incomes, which is expected to raise two billion euros by 2025. However, while the government had planned an ‘exceptional’ contribution for a period of three years, the Assembly voted in favour of making it permanent, supported by the left and the MoDem, a party in the government coalition.

Debates continue: towards a formal vote?

Discussions continue until Friday on the first part of the Finance Bill, devoted to revenue, with a formal vote scheduled for next Tuesday. However, the government could opt to use the 49.3 to move the text forward.

Setbacks for the government over the Social Security budget

During the committee’s examination of the draft social security budget, MPs from the EPR and Droite républicaine (ex-LR) groups took the initiative of adopting amendments deleting a key article, which was expected to raise between four and five billion euros. Although this defeat is symbolic at this stage, the MPs will return to the government’s original text when it is examined in the Chamber.