By Dominique Vidalon and Leigh Thomas

PARIS (Reuters) -Fitch’s downgrade of France’s credit rating has cast a pall over newly installed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu as he begins talks to draft a budget, while unions prepare strikes over spending cuts and employers threaten protests against tax hikes.

Citing political instability and rising debt, Fitch cut its rating late Friday to A+ from AA-, giving France its lowest credit score on record just days after President Emmanuel Macron tapped Lecornu to be his fifth prime minister in two years.

Although analysts said it was largely expected, the timing could hardly be worse. Fitch’s downgrade fires the starting gun on a complex sprint to present a first draft of the 2026 budget to parliament by October 7, with a possible extension until

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