how the government justifies the 2025 budget

Fewer civil servants, more taxes for large companies and the richest: the government presented its draft budget for 2025, with the idea of ​​”being responsible rather than popular” to clean up public finances.

“Neither an austerity cure nor a tax bludgeon“: this is how the government presents its draft budget for 2025. With fewer civil servants, more taxes for large companies and the richest, the executive has drastically curbed spending while resuming tax increases in its draft budget for 2025 which aims to consolidate public finances, in a very unstable political climate.

The executive thus detailed how he intended to find “60 billion euros” in the finance and social security financing bills which will be fiercely debated in the National Assembly where he is in the minority. As announced for several weeks now, some 40 billion reductions in public spending and 20 billion in tax increases targeted at large businesses and the wealthiest households.

Behind the scenes, the government assures us: it takes responsibility for its courageous choices. Moreover, the executive is aware of this: the bill is very steep, with, among other things, the 4,000 fewer positions in National Education, the freezing of the indexation of pensions to inflation, consultations medical insurance is less reimbursed so that mutual and supplementary health insurance companies make an effort. But the Minister of Public Accounts Laurent Saint-Martin swears that he does not do it for pleasure: “There is no culprit to be found. There is a collective responsibility to have for a recovery of public finances. But we can’t wait any longer: we must make courageous choices now to avoid painful choices later“, he pleaded.

Neither an austerity cure, nor a fiscal bludgeoning, a formula chosen by a government which defends targeted and temporary efforts. “Just a bad time to have” to hear Michel Barnier, quoted by Maud Bregeon, the government spokesperson, Thursday, at the end of the Council of Ministers.

“He reaffirmed his desire to tell the truth and recalled his desire to be responsible rather than popular”

Maud Bregeon,

during the Council of Ministers

As a way perhaps to prepare minds for the almost inevitable 49-3. And a minister agreed: “In politics, you learn to never say never.“

The fact remains that if the Prime Minister assumes unpopularity, he does not particularly want to be overthrown straight away. And this is why the copy is presented as perfectible: 60 billion to be found, two thirds of spending cuts, a third of tax increases… The bitter potion must be swallowed, but the ingredients can change. “Each proposal which makes it possible to substitute one euro of taxation for one euro of public spending will be studied with the greatest care and retained whenever possible.“, specifies the Minister of the Economy, Antoine Armand.

“Any other attitude would be misunderstoode”, engages a member of the government, who assures that he does not want “brutalize the Assembly“, with the start of the examination of this 2025 budget in committee, Wednesday October 16, before an – expected – passage in the hemicycle, at the end of the month.

Meanwhile, faithful to his “quiet period” defended by the Elysée, Emmanuel Macron, who chaired the Council of Ministers, was discreet. The President did not bat an eyelid: “He let the ministers express themselves“, says a participant, who found him almost in the background. “We have changed times“, recalls the Elysée. When someone close to Emmanuel Macron specifies: “He’s not judging, he said there was a breakup“.

Except that some, including in his camp, blame him for the slippage of the country’s finances. Emmanuel Macron is perhaps waking up this morning with the feeling that this first budget of demanding coexistence is shaking up his convictions, his markers and even his political totems.