The French Constitutional Council has validated the majority of the 2026 state budget, marking the final step before its promulgation after over four months of intense parliamentary debate. The Council found the adoption procedure to be constitutional and most provisions to be in line with the Constitution, though it excluded seven articles deemed out of scope for a budget law. Notably, a controversial provision excluding non-European, non-scholarship students from housing aid (APL) was upheld with an interpretative reservation, citing the pursuit of general interest in controlling APL expenses. The Council also approved articles concerning taxes on holding companies, the Pacte Dutreil, and fiscal advantages for reinvesting business sale proceeds, as well as a measure to charge convicted adults for criminal justice costs and a restriction on using personal training accounts (CPF) for driving licenses to job seekers only. This budget aims to reduce the public deficit to 5% of GDP in 2026.