At the National Assembly, the combined votes of the far-right National Rally (RN) and the left-wing groups are enough to censure the government and its budgetary decisions. Following her meeting with the Prime Minister on Monday, Marine Le Pen issued a warning: if the 2025 Finance Bill remains unchanged, her party will vote for “censure.”
Despite criticism from the far right, the government is sticking to its plan to increase taxes on electricity. Michel Barnier, speaking on TF1, reassured citizens, stating, “Electricity prices will drop by 9%, and we’ll explore if more can be done to protect the purchasing power of the French.”
Since unveiling its budget proposals in early October, the government has made numerous compromises. Acknowledging the shortcomings, the Prime Minister admitted the budget was not “perfect” but emphasized ongoing improvements. “We are listening to local authorities, businesses, political parties, and retired citizens who tell us not to touch small pensions,” he detailed.
The overarching goal remains to reduce the public deficit to “around 5%” of GDP by 2025. To achieve this, the head of government suggested cuts to state expenses, advocating for a more “frugal and straightforward” approach. He also proposed asking former ministers and Prime Ministers to contribute their share. However, while the expenses tied to his predecessors have indeed risen, the total cost amounts to just approximately over a million euros—far from a transformative fiscal saving.
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