Transport budget: Clément Beaune faces criticism

Faced with criticism from the regions, the Minister Delegate for Transport Clément Beaune presented Thursday as "an effort that has never been made" the envelope of 8.6 billion euros, including 3 billion for the Île-de-France, that the State intends to devote to regional transport over the period 2023-2027. "We can always want to hope for more, but it is an effort that we have never made and that will advance many projects," defended the minister in front of the president of the Île-de-France region Valérie Pécresse, on the sidelines of the inauguration of new trains of line 11 of the Paris metro. "On the State side, exceptionally high amounts have been committed to State-region plan contracts. Naturally, the Île-de-France region, which has the greatest need for public transport, will receive the largest share of the national envelope," he added.

Valérie Pécresse repeated having "felt a little disappointment": "3 billion euros, it will not cover all the needs of the region even if it is a significant effort," she said. The elected representative, who demanded a participation of the State of 4 billion euros, had indicated Tuesday that she would soon bring together local elected officials to sort between the projects that can be financed and the others. The government on Wednesday launched negotiations for the transport component of the next State-Region Plan Contracts (CPER), putting 8.6 billion euros on the table and waiting for local authorities to contribute at least the same amount.

The amplification of investments "not at the rendezvous"

For Régions de France, "the expected amplification of State investments, initiated as part of the recovery plan, is not at the rendezvous". "The regions expect a much more powerful mobilization from the state (...) to hope to produce a 'supply shock' in favour of the train and carbon-free mobility. We must go faster now, "said in a statement the president of the association of regions Carole Delga (PS), president of the Occitanie region.

Regarding Île-de-France, Valérie Pécresse recalled, as president of Île-de-France Mobilités, that it still lacked 800 million euros to pay for the operation of the new lines to open next year and the transport of the Olympic Games, threatening once again not to open anything if it did not obtain additional funding. "We will discuss financing, schedule, and studies with the president of the region in the coming weeks," replied Clément Beaune, saying he hoped "the development of common solutions in the coming weeks and months".