Charles de Courson very critical of the 2025 budget project, but opposed to censorship

"I will not vote for censure: I am against this budget but we must not add chaos to chaos," he declared on Europe 1.

In this draft budget, "we are massively increasing compulsory levies, by 0,9 points of GDP, to about 27 billion. The corporate tax rate, which had been reduced to 25%, is being raised for groups with more than 3 billion euros (in turnover) to 40%," he regretted. "And spending, in relation to the wealth created, is only decreasing by 0,1 points, that is to say 3 billion."

The employers are being pushed to "stop investing in our own country".

According to Mr. de Courson, these measures presented as temporary, risk becoming permanent because it will also be necessary to save in the following years.

"The temporary is becoming permanent in France in terms of taxation. This is very dangerous and will accelerate the rise in unemployment, which has been rising since mid-2024," he said. "We reached a low point at 7,2% (unemployment rate, Editor's note) in mid-2024 and the outlook is around 8% in 2025."

"Everyone knows that if this budget were put to a vote, there would be 300 to 350 votes against, hence the 49-3" announced, he continued.

He estimates that the concessions to the Socialist Party will not cost five billion euros but seven billion, including 5,8 billion in the Social Security law and "1,3-1,4 billion in the finance law".

"The forecast deficit of the Social Security law, which was estimated at 15 billion, is 23 billion," he judged.

He also warned about the consequences of the downward adjustment of growth forecasts, to 0,9% against 1,1%, in a context where inflation has also fallen to 1,2% instead of the 2% that prevailed when the initial finance law was drawn up: the revenue losses will be doubled compared to what the government will announce, according to him. "Instead of a loss of 3 billion, we would rather be at 6, 7 or 8 billion" euros.