French finance minister Lescure said he is confident next year's budget will be
approved and reiterated the government can deploy constitutional measures if
parliament cannot reach agreement. He said the government has two ‘safety
rails’—Article 49.3 of the constitution and executive decrees—to force the bill
through if it veers off course. The draft, now under debate in the National
Assembly, contains about €43 bln (roughly $48 bln) of measures aimed at cutting
the deficit and easing financial-market concerns over France's public finances.
Deep splits in parliament and a presidential election six months away make
securing a majority vote difficult, he added.
