France Faces EU Rebuke Over Budget Rule Violations Amid Election Campaign

The European Commission has reprimanded France for breaching the EU's budget rules, triggering a process that could lead to fines. This marks the first time since Emmanuel Macron took office in 2017 that France has been placed under the EU's public spending sin bin. The excessive deficit procedure is a mechanism that forces debt-overloaded countries to negotiate a plan with Brussels to get back on track. France's breach of budget rules comes as the country heads into high-stakes legislative elections on June 30 and July 7, during which both major parties have made large spending pledges.