The Mayor and Cazenave justify the 10 billion euro savings plan in 2024

“It is never pleasant or nice” to cut the state budget, but “it is simply necessary”, affirmed before the Finance Committee of the Assembly the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire , heard with his Minister Delegate for Public Accounts for a total of five hours by the committees of the two chambers.

They were invited to justify the savings plan announced on television without notice on February 18 by Mr. Le Maire, and materialized four days later by a simple decree in the Official Journal.

The same day, Mr. Le Maire announced a downward revision of the growth forecast for this year, from 1,4% to 1%, barely two months after the adoption of the budget.

In addition to criticism on the nature of economies, on items such as ecological transition, or education, the two men had to face suspicions of "insincerity" of the budget, while "most institutions" and " many deputies" had estimated that 1,4% "could not be achieved", recalled the LFI president of the Assembly committee, Eric Coquerel.

Mr. Le Maire observed that many European countries had revised their growth in recent weeks, a concomitance proving "the sincerity" of the French budget, according to him.

Many parliamentarians criticized the method, and would have preferred an amending finance law rather than a decree. This could arrive in the summer “depending on our tax revenues”, indicated Mr. Le Maire.

Mr. Cazenave argued that spending had been “held” in 2023, but that the problem came from lower tax revenues linked to the economy, to the tune of 7,7 billion euros.

The objective of a public deficit of 4,9% in 2023 has become obsolete, and in order not to stray too far from the 4,4% planned for 2024, "it was essential to react quickly and to react strongly", he said. supported Mr. Le Maire.

Especially since in a few weeks, the rating agencies will decide on France's rating.

A number on bad news

These credit cancellations “are only a first step”, warned Thomas Cazenave, who was responsible for putting a figure on the bad news of the day.

The “12 billion”, then “at least 12 billion” of savings for 2025 that the government has been announcing since September became “at least 20 billion” on Wednesday.

The government mentioned the public spending reviews currently launched to seek these savings, citing "aid for businesses, medical devices", which were already known, but also "systems in favor of youth, employment policies , professional training, long-term illnesses, aid to the cinema sector, absenteeism in the civil service, the military programming law, real estate expenditure of ministries.

Unlike the 10 billion euros, which only weighs on the State budget, this time "everyone will have to participate", launched Mr. Le Maire, wondering if it is "legitimate" that the staff of the local authorities are entitled to “17 days of absence” for health reasons per year, compared to “12 in the private sector and 10 in state services”.

It mainly targeted Social Security spending, which constitutes half of public spending.

In his sights, medical transport of patients, which costs 5,7 billion euros each year, or the fact that social protection is “entirely financed by those who work”.

In passing, he said he was "convinced" that the work of the social partners, who manage Unedic, "was to take care of the place of employees in the company" and "that of the State to be unemployed".

These are “political questions in the noble sense”, which “require choices”, he said. “We are going to have to change software and get out of our addiction to public spending,” he warned.