France, Dec. 22 -- Lecornu was named as PM in September to break France's political deadlock and get a budget passed for 2026.

France's deeply divided lower house, where no one party has a majority, is making that task difficult.

The Prime Minister secured a win last Tuesday when lawmakers narrowly adopted the social security budget, part of the broader spending plan, postponing an unpopular pensions reform until 2028 - a key Socialist demand.

But MPs have been unable to pass the state budget, which has been complicated by a tug of war between the right-leaning Senate that wants to cut costs, and a hung lower house in which the left has demanded more income from taxes.

Last Friday a joint committee of senators and MPs failed to reach ...