Star Metro - French lawmakers give first approval to social security budget bill

The National Assembly backed the measure, which includes the suspension of an unpopular pension reform, by 247 votes to 234, and it will now head back to the Senate before returning to the lower chamber.

Lecornu hailed the outcome of Tuesday's vote, thanking what he called a "responsible majority".

France, the eurozone's second-largest economy, is under pressure to cut its budget deficit but efforts have been hamstrung by a fragmented parliament, the result of snap elections President Emmanuel Macron called last year.

The premier has promised to secure approval for a spending plan by the end of December.

But in a bid to avoid the fate of his two predecessors, who were toppled over cost-cutting measures, he has pledged to abandon a controversial constitutional power used in the past to ram the spending plan through parliament without a vote.

This had led to protracted debates on the two main parts of the budget: the state budget bill and draft law for the social security budget.

Leading up to the vote, the premier had warned politicians against torpedoing the budget plan.

"This social security budget bill is not perfect, but it is the best possible," Lecornu wrote on X on Saturday.

"Not having a budget would be dangerous for our social protection, our public accounts, and the role of parliament."

The version of the bill lawmakers approved includes the suspension of a 2023 pensions reform to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. That was needed to secure the support of the Socialists, a swing group in parliament.

There were concerns ahead of the vote that, if lawmakers failed to approve the legislation, it could prompt calls for Lecornu to resign.

But government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon said this weekend that his stepping down "would make no sense".

The Senate is to vote on the other part -- the state budget -- on December 15.

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O.Martin--SMC