'Ready for debate': French PM urges lawmakers to reach 'compromise' to pass austerity budget

Paris: France's prime minister on Friday urged lawmakers to reach a compromise to pass an austerity budget, after leftists threatened to oust his govt if it did not include a tax on the very wealthy. Sebastien Lecornu has promised to get a spending bill through a deeply divided parliament by the end of the year. "The budget govt is putting forward is imperfect. But, we are ready for an open debate," he said on Friday.But the Socialists have also demanded a tax on the ultra-rich, which Lecornu has refused. "We need to tax the ultra-rich," Socialist party leader Olivier Faure said on Friday. "If there is no progress on this by Monday, it will be over." AFP