France passes budget after months of wrangling and no-confidence motions

France's government, led by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, has passed its budget after months of political deadlock and surviving multiple no-confidence votes. The budget's passage was secured using special constitutional powers, avoiding a direct parliamentary vote. The Socialist party abstained from voting against the government in exchange for concessions, including suspending pension reforms. The budget aims to reduce the deficit to 5% of GDP by 2026 and includes a €6.5 billion increase in defense spending. This comes after a snap election in June 2024 resulted in a hung parliament, leading to political instability and government collapses. The drawn-out process has unsettled debt markets and concerned European partners.