France's PM Lecornu Races to Pass Stopgap Budget, Averting Shutdown

• PM Lecornu seeks emergency legislation to avoid a government shutdown in the new year after a full 2026 budget failed.
• The stopgap bill allows spending, tax collection, and borrowing to continue in January.
• Lecornu is holding talks with political leaders, aiming for parliamentary approval on Tuesday.
• The temporary measure buys time to debate a proper 2026 budget in January.
• France faces scrutiny over its high budget deficit; Lecornu's minority government navigates a fractious parliament.

Why It Matters: PM Lecornu pushes emergency budget bill to prevent shutdown, buying time for full 2026 budget debate.