Barnier’s government is “hanging by a thread,” says Fabien Roussel

The ceiling letters set out for each ministry its future appropriations for mission and programme payments, as well as its employment ceiling for 2025. The ceiling letters, texts without legal value, traditionally mark a key stage in the preparation of the state budget. Gabriel Attal, the resigned prime minister, sent these ceiling letters to all his ministers on 20 August. He announced a general freeze on state spending in 2025, of 492 billion euros, and specified how each ministry would be affected. The defence, culture and sports budgets would be relatively favoured, to the detriment, in particular, of the labour and employment budget, according to Matignon. Gabriel Attal also indicated that this framework would be adjusted, or even questioned, in the coming weeks.