PARIS — Sébastien Lecornu’s path toward a budget compromise appeared even more tenuous Wednesday as French unions called for nationwide strikes next week after meeting with the prime minister.
Marylise Léon, the head of the CFDT, announced that her organization and other unions would walk off the job on Oct. 2 as labor leaders’ two-and-a-half-hour talks with Lecornu yielded “no clear answers.”
Léon described the meeting as a “missed opportunity” and said the new head of government revealed little about his budget plans or willingness to include some of the unions’ requests, including increased taxes on the wealthy.
Sophie Binet, head of the CGT, France’s largest union by membership, told reporters that Lecornu had presented himself during the meeting as the “most fragile” prime minister in the history of modern France, which traditionally produced stable executives.
“This confirms that we’re in a position of strength,” she said.
Lecornu has faced two days of nationwide protests since taking the reins of government earlier this month from François Bayrou, who was toppled in a no-confidence vote over his plans to shave the 2026 budget by nearly €44 billion.
Both Bayrou and Lecornu have warned that France needs to rein in public spending to address its eye-watering budget deficit, set to come in at 5.4 percent of gross domestic product this year, and €3.3 trillion of public debt — concerns that prompted ratings agency Fitch to downgrade France’s credit rating on Sept. 13.
France’s main unions, which usually diverge in ideology and tactics, have closed ranks since the summer, united in outrage over Bayrou’s plans. Lecornu has distanced himself from some of Bayrou’s proposals, including slashing two public holidays.
The unions remained united and their stance is a critical element in the political calculus of the Socialists, whose support Lecornu’s government needs.
The center-left party, which helped take down Bayrou and former Prime Minister Michel Barnier, is entering negotiations with demands that are tough to swallow for President Emmanuel Macron and his conservative allies — including a minimum 2 percent tax on households worth more than €100 million.
A survey commissioned by the Socialists from pollster Ifop found 86 percent of respondents backing the tax.
With municipal elections less than six months away and a presidential race in 2027, the Socialists are unlikely to align themselves with an unpopular prime minister who lacks union backing. At the same time, they could be forced to let Lecornu’s budget pass if he secures an agreement with reformist unions like the CFDT.
“The Socialists will find it difficult to dissociate themselves from things that the CFDT has agreed to,” a French minister — granted anonymity to discuss the talks — told POLITICO.
Anthony Lattier contributed to this report.
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