France must calm protesters without extra spending, minister says
French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said France must pass a 2027 budget to show bond markets it is not the "sick man of Europe". French borrowing costs have reached levels not seen for a quarter century.
Lescure said the government has no spare funds and must rely on creative measures. He said France can find solutions without widening the budget deficit.
He said existing institutional safeguards, including Article 49.3 and executive orders, may have to be invoked. He said he did not think the outside world would see this as a coup at the institutional level.
Lescure blamed heavy selling of French short-term government bonds earlier this month mainly on hedge funds and other traders. He said they were unwinding carry-trade positions. The opposition has warned it will act to oust the government if the budget is pushed through without consultation.
Key facts
- Who
- Roland Lescure (finance minister); Lescure (French Finance Minister)
- What
- Lescure said France must pass a 2027 budget and appease protesters without extra spending to convince bond markets. The article notes French borrowing costs have hit levels not seen for a quarter century.
- When
- 27 October 2026
- Where
- France
- Status
- Reported