The government wants to rely on “rigor” and “work” to fill the budget deficit, which widened to 5.5% of GDP in 2023. “We will continue on this path of rigor and responsibility with always a common thread (…) that of work” because “the more French people we have working, the more possibilities we will have to balance our finances”, assured Gabriel Attal on Tuesday before the National Assembly.
The Prime Minister notably cited “the reform of unemployment insurance” during the government questions session.
He was responding to the leader of Les Républicains deputies Olivier Marleix, for whom the situation of public finances is “serious”.
Earlier, during a meeting of the Renaissance group at the Assembly, Bruno Le Maire had already intoned this refrain: “Seriousness is our trademark.
And it must remain our trademark,” said the Minister of the Economy.
Return below 3% in 2027
Gabriel Attal underlined “the impact on our finances” of the Covid epidemic, while Bruno Le Maire insisted on the “four years of crisis” during which the government “spent to protect” the French.
According to the latter, the figure of 5.5% deficit does not mean “that there was additional spending compared to what was planned in 2023”, but rather “that there was less revenue” .
" For what ?
Because inflation fell faster than expected,” he summarized.
Faced with this observation, Bruno Le Maire told Renaissance deputies that he had “anticipated and corrected” with 8 billion euros in savings at the end of 2023 and 10 billion announced at the start of 2024: “The State has reduced the size by 18 billion.
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The government is therefore at “the time of choice”.
The Minister of the Economy considers it “irresponsible” to let “our public finances drift”.
“The other way is to keep control of our public finances by maintaining the strategic objective: (getting back below) 3% public deficit in 2027,” he insisted.
There needs to be collective awareness: the State must make efforts but so must communities, while respecting their autonomy.
But also in the social sphere.
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