Undaunted despite the commotion in the chamber, Michel Barnier listed his priorities on Tuesday the 1stAhem October, during his general policy statement before the National Assembly.
The National Assembly had not met since mid-July, on the occasion of the re-election of President Yaël Braun-Pivet. After a minute of silence in tribute to the Philippines, a young student murdered ten days ago in Paris, the deputies of La France insoumise brandished their voter cards to protest against the appointment of this right-wing prime minister, a solution devised by Emmanuel Macron after the dissolution, when the left bloc won first place in the legislative elections. the world takes stock of Mr. Barnier’s main statements.
A contribution requested “to large companies that make significant profits” and “to the luckiest French people”
The Prime Minister has committed to reducing France’s public deficit to 5% of GDP in 2025, with a trajectory that should allow “profitability below the 3% ceiling in 2029”.
“The real sword of Damocles is our colossal financial debt (…) which, if we are not careful, will place our country on the brink of the precipice”said Michel Barnier before the deputies, committing to a speech of ” TRUE “ on public accounts during his general policy statement.
“The first cure for debt is to reduce spending. Therefore, in 2025, two-thirds of the recovery effort will come from reducing spending. Reducing spending means giving up magic money, the illusion that everything is free, the temptation to subsidize everything.”declared.
However, “participation in collective recovery” will also be requested “to large companies that obtain significant profits” as well as“an exceptional contribution” to “The luckiest French people”in the name of the“Tax justice requirement”he added.
Planned revaluation of the minimum wage of 2% on 1Ahem November
The President of the Government announced the revaluation of the minimum wage “by 2% from November 1 in anticipation of the January 1 date”. In this way, the monthly net minimum wage would increase to approximately 1,426 euros net, compared to the current 1,398.70 euros.
Barnier also denounced the situation of certain professional branches. “in which the minimums are lower than the minimum wage”. “This is not acceptable and will be subject to swift negotiations. “The State will guarantee it.”he warned.
“In addition, it has now been shown that our cost reduction system slows the rise in wages above the minimum wage: we will see it again”continued, in line with his predecessor Gabriel Attal, who in January called for a “demicardization” of society.
“Resume dialogue” on pension reform to “correct” certain “limits”
Michel Barnier said he was open to “Reasonable and fair accommodation” about the much-maligned pension reform in force since last year, without specifying a deadline or calendar. he called “to resume the dialogue” with the social partners on this topic.
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“Certain limits of the law approved on April 15, 2023 can be corrected. “The issues of progressive retirement, professional burnout, equality between women and men in retirement deserve better than layoffs.”declared. But “It is imperative to preserve the sustainable balance of our pay-as-you-go pension system”he also stressed.
Immigration and integration are no longer “satisfactorily” controlled, according to Michel Barnier
Prime Minister Michel Barnier considered that immigration and integration policies are no longer under control “satisfying”do not prohibit “make the granting of visas more conditional on obtaining consular passes” with certain foreign countries.
After letting his hard-line Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, speak out on immigration since the formation of his team, the Head of Government called “get immigration out of the ideological impasse in which everyone has put it”making this topic one of its five priority projects.
Barely a year after the adoption of the controversial immigration law promoted by Gérald Darmanin, Barnier outlined new avenues for reform, such as “more efficient and local processing of asylum applications so that applicants obtain a decision quickly”.
On the delicate issue of a better execution of the obligations to exit French territory (OQTF), a debate relaunched in a part of the political class after the murder of a student in Paris, Michel Barnier proposes to facilitate “the exceptional extension of the detention of foreigners in an irregular situation”.
The Prime Minister advocates respect for the “rule of law”
A phrase that aims to respond to the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, who caused a stir at the beginning of the week by estimating that “The rule of law is neither intangible nor sacred.”. Michel Barnier estimated during his general policy statement that “The firmness of the penal policy that the French demand is inseparable from respect for the rule of law and principles. »
“Freedoms are not questioned” such as abortion or marriage for all
Michel Barnier stated his “own red lines” on social issues, ensuring that he would not tolerate “There is no accommodation in the defense of secularism” neither “The freedoms gained over the years are not questioned” on abortion, marriage for all or assisted reproduction.
“I heard that some have red lines, sometimes very red”the Prime Minister joked to the Assembly. He assured that his government did not “no tolerance for racism and anti-Semitism”of “communitarianism”and “violence against women”. “We will not accept any discrimination”he insisted.
Regarding the end of life, the consideration of which had been suspended in the Assembly in June due to the dissolution, the Prime Minister announced that he wanted “restart the dialogue” with Parliament in early 2025.
Michel Barnier, willing to “reflect” on proportional voting
The Prime Minister said to himself. “Ready to open reflection and action without ideology on proportional voting” for the legislative elections, demanded by a part of the political class, from the left to the National Group through the MoDem.
“Of course, I have heard the calls for greater representation”the Prime Minister assured in his general policy statement to Parliament. Without going into details, he noted that this voting method was “already implemented in the Senate and in the communities and practiced, to varying degrees, among many of our neighbors”.
New Caledonia: the constitutional bill to unfreeze the electorate “will not be presented to Congress”
Michel Barnier announced that the provincial elections in New Caledonia will be postponed “until the end of 2025” and that the constitutional bill to unfreeze the electoral body, the origin of the riots that ignited the archipelago, does not “will not be presented to Congress”. He specified that Emmanuel Macron “will confirm” this abandonment to the elected officials of New Caledonia when he brings them together “as you intend to do” in the month of November.
The reform plan for Caledonia’s electoral body triggered the worst riots in forty years in the archipelago in May, leaving 13 dead, including two police officers. Its objective was to expand the electoral body, frozen since 2007, for the provincial elections, crucial in the archipelago, to the natives or residents of the archipelago for ten years, at the risk of marginalizing the indigenous Kanak people, the separatists accuse.
