French government to use constitutional powers to force through budget

President accused of authoritarianism as PM puts end to days of heated parliamentary debate

The French government is to use special constitutional powers to force through its 2023 budget without a parliamentary vote, sparking accusations of authoritarianism" from the opposition and underlining President Emmanuel Macron's weakened domestic position since his centrist grouping lost its absolute majority in elections last spring.

It is our responsibility to make sure our country has a budget", the prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, told parliament as she put an end to several days of heated debate over the government's pro-business budget, which ministers said would protect people from the cost of living crisis while avoiding tax increases.