French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu survived two no-confidence votes in parliament on Thursday, after promising to suspend President Emmanuel Macron's disputed pension reform.

The first motion, filed by the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, gained 271 votes, falling short of the 289 needed to topple Lecornu's week-old government.

A second motion, brought by the Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and thought less likely to pass, also failed.

How unstable is the French government?

Lecornu's offer to freeze the pension reform until after the 2027 presidential election swayed the Socialists, providing Macron's centrist alliance with a narrow lifeline in the deeply divided National Assembly.

While the result spares the government immediate collapse, it highlights the fragility of Macron's administration midway through his final term, as opposition parties on both the left and right continue to test its parliamentary survival.

Even with Thursday's vote giving Lecornu breathing room, France’s political deadlock remains unresolved.

The prime minister has urged lawmakers to compromise, saying the country must overcome its ongoing political crisis.

Lawmakers are now expected to debate new austerity budget, which unions have already criticized as unfair to retirees. The General Confederation of Labor trade union group has already called protests for November 6.

Analysts see Lecornu's survival as Macron's last chance to stabilize his second term, which runs until 2027.

The president's authority has been weakened by deep divisions in parliament, where no single bloc commands a majority and coalition-building remains rare in France.

France's debt now stands at 114% of GDP, the third highest in the EU after Greece and Italy.

The budget deficit was 5.8% last year, and Lecornu has pledged to reduce it to 4.7% in 2025 under an EU deficit procedure launched in July.

Macron reappointed Lecornu as prime minister last Friday just days after a submitted his resignation.