A few ministers have stood out throughout history for their desire to restore public finances. A look back at four centuries of solutions to reduce the country's debt.
Under the Ancien Régime, the delicate mission of those in charge of public finances essentially boiled down to preventing the king from paying his debts and increasing tax revenues without provoking a revolution.
A crushing task which got the better of the most brilliant minds… A few daring Comptrollers General of Finance tried to loosen this vice, opting however for the more ambitious path of increasing the wealth of the kingdom.
Turgot was part of this small cenacle daring to invalidate the adage of François I, who, to an interlocutor asking him what he could get from his subjects for his finances, replied:
"All that I need, according to my will ".
See also
Turgot in power, or the failure of liberalism in Ancien Régime France
Anne Robert Turgot was called to finance in August 1774 by Louis XVI.
He inherits an explosive situation.
Since the 16th century, with rare exceptions…
This article is for subscribers only.
You have 88% left to discover.
Cultivating your freedom is cultivating your curiosity.
Keep reading your article for €0.99 for the first month
I ENJOY IT
Already subscribed?
Login