All the candidates promise it but, having become presidents, all give up trying to free the country from its dependence. Jacques Chirac signed a “pact’ in 1997 with his euro zone counterparts forcing France to rebalance its accounts between 2004 and 2005.
Ultimately, this that year, a ‘hole’ of 2.7% of GDP will remain. François Hollande arrives at the Élysée committing to a zero balance at the end of his five-year term, it will still be 2.5%. Emmanuel Macron is aiming for 1%, he will finish at 4.8% and only aims for 3% for the second.