After the crisis, it will be necessary to hold public finances again, to repay the debt and to reform pensions, said Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire on Saturday.
"
Reality dies hard and there are a number of things that must remain in our broad political guidelines
," the minister said on BFM TV.
Read also: The pension reform suspended due to the health crisis
“
A debt can be repaid.
Public finances must be kept well
, ”he stressed.
“
Today, we protect the French, we protect employees, we protect businesses, but when the time comes, we will have to find public finances that are healthy.
""
On work it's the same thing: we are (...) the developed country that works the least.
And at the same time, we are the country which has the social protection system which is among the most generous.
It is no longer tenable,
”he continued,“
and the French know it.
"
Keeping a generous and efficient social protection system “
at a cost
”, “
and if we collectively want to pay for it without this weighing on the pensions of the French (...), we must all agree to work more
”, explained Bruno Le Maire.
"Give a guarantee" to creditors
Such a reform will have to be undertaken "as
soon as the economic crisis is behind us
", he said.
“
When the economic machine starts up again, when growth returns, yes, it will take pension reform.
""
A debt can be repaid,
"he also said while some economists call for the cancellation of the public debt contracted to face the economic and social consequences of the pandemic.
To read also: Jean Pierre Robin: "Cancel the debt or increase taxes: the only alternative?"
“
When you borrow money (...), if you want people to continue to lend you money, you have to give them a guarantee, only one: you will reimburse them.
""
I certainly do not want to be the Prime Minister of Finance who suddenly says 'well our debt, we will not repay it',
"he noted.
In the meantime, "
the French do not have to worry about our ability to finance support measures
," assured the Minister of the Economy.
