Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at France’s latest attempt to rein in its deficit, migration policy in the United Kingdom, and a new timeline for China’s possible invasion of Taiwan.

Cost-Cutting Measures

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu unveiled Paris’s 2027 budget proposal on Thursday to a backdrop of political uncertainty, violent student protests, and an anxious bond market. With tensions high, Paris is hoping that new austerity measures will rein in the country’s deficit and prevent opposition lawmakers from holding a no-confidence vote against another one of President Emmanuel Macron’s prime ministers.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at France’s latest attempt to rein in its deficit, migration policy in the United Kingdom, and a new timeline for China’s possible invasion of Taiwan.

Cost-Cutting Measures

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu unveiled Paris’s 2027 budget proposal on Thursday to a backdrop of political uncertainty, violent student protests, and an anxious bond market. With tensions high, Paris is hoping that new austerity measures will rein in the country’s deficit and prevent opposition lawmakers from holding a no-confidence vote against another one of President Emmanuel Macron’s prime ministers.

Political instability has long plagued Macron’s tenure. Since taking office in 2017, Macron has had seven premiers, the last two of whom were toppled over their unpopular austerity plans. From protests over farming protections to police brutality to pension reform, Paris has struggled to quell domestic unrest ahead of the country’s presidential election in 2027.

Lecornu is hoping to change the tide. His proposal seeks to increase France’s defense budget from $64 billion to $71.2 billion while freezing public-sector wages and hiking taxes. “This budget enables us to get back on track towards consolidation through ​a significant effort,” Finance Minister Roland Lescure said, adding that savings were estimated........

© Foreign Policy