For any government, the first budget remains a foundational political act. More significant than any general policy statement, the finance and Social Security financing bills for 2025 set out the priorities of Michel Barnier and his government. In his text adopted by the Council of Ministers on Thursday, October 10, the Prime Minister confirms, in the name of budgetary rigor, his willingness to save 60 billion euros starting next year (40 billion euros in spending reduction and 20 billion euros in tax increases). .
A recovery of public finances to contain the slide in the public deficit 6.1% of GDP in 2024 “absolutely considerable and unprecedented” in the words of the first president of the Court of Auditors, Pierre Moscovici, heard on Thursday before the Finance Committee of the Assembly. “In the budget debate we will have to point out everyone’s responsibilities, proclaims the deputy (National Rally, RN) of the Somme, Matthias Renault. It would be too easy for Barnier to do the dirty work and take full political responsibility for this disaster caused by previous governments. »
The former European commissioner suffered for the first time the consequences of his late appointment in Matignon, three months after the failed dissolution of Emmanuel Macron. “Never has a prime minister had to create a budget for France in a two-week period. “It is impossible to do everything well in such a short time.”was justified on Thursday during a trip to Vienna.
The budget for 2025 should have been deposited on the Assembly table on 1Ahem October. “The budget will be debated in very poor conditions due to this extremely delayed schedule, with additional amendments from the government that we will not have had time to evaluate”sighs the environmentalist deputy of Haute-Garonne, Christine Arrighi. From now on, the National Assembly, then the Senate and the Constitutional Council must decide on the budget within a constitutional period of seventy days.
Crucial first test
The first part of the finance bill (PLF), dedicated to revenue, will be examined starting Wednesday, October 16, by the deputies of the Assembly’s Finance Commission. A crucial first test for the executive. In the maneuver, the president of the finance committee, the “rebel” Eric Coquerel and the general budget rapporteur, the centrist Charles de Courson, aim to demonstrate that deputies can adopt a majority budget against the opinion of the government.
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