France’s Lecornu Eyes Small Shift in Contested Deficit Plans (3)

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu offered minor adjustments to overall budget targets and ruled out “austerity” as he strains to build support and dissuade opposition lawmakers from voting him out of office.

In just his second public comment on policy since President Emmanuel Macron instructed him to build consensus among factious lawmakers, the premier said he would present proposals based on reducing the deficit to around 4.7% of economic output next year from 5.4% in 2025.

That’s only slightly less ambitious than the 4.6% target set out by his predecessor Francois Bayrou, who was ousted in a confidence vote ...