the standoff between the executive and local communities

In the context of public finances slipping, Emmanuel Macron is targeting local authorities and this is not getting through to local elected officials. The head of the association of mayors of France has just written to the head of state.

David Lisnard, LR president of the Association of Mayors of France (AMF), sent a letter to Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, May 28 in the evening to propose a debate on the country’s public finances. A debate after the European elections, or during the congress of mayors next fall, if the president prefers. At this stage, the Élysée makes no comments on this proposed budgetary contest. If David Lisnard is calling for a debate, it is because of a little sentence from Emmanuel Macron in The Express last week : “Apart from a drift in initially planned expenditure which is due to local authorities, there is no slippage in State expenditure“.

This accusation of “derivative“community spending has made local elected officials jump.”Macron once again missed an opportunity to remain silent.”torpedoes an elected official who accuses the president of seeking “scapegoats“. The annoyance was manifested by a joint press release from the associations of regions, departments and mayors to denounce a “unfair statement“, “provocative“or another”breach of trust between the executive and local elected officials“. Local authorities respond by explaining that, of course, their spending has increased this year, but not of their own making. They are targeting inflation, which is weighing on energy prices, without forgetting the transfer of energy costs. State towards communities, such as the revaluation of social benefits or the salaries of territorial civil servants.

“Local authorities constantly complain“, plays down an executive advisor. Another is ironic about their way of saying “the state is bad, the communities are nice“What is at stake behind this is the preparation of the budget for 2025. The government is still looking for billions in savings and local authorities could also be called upon to contribute.”If Bercy is too greedy, mayors will have no choice but to close public services and reduce investments, including in the ecological transition.“, replies an AMF executive. In short, the State-community standoff risks continuing. To fuel the debate, the budget ministry has just received a report which assesses the cost of “the tangle of skills” has “several billion“, while Emmanuel Macron would like to reform the famous “territorial yarrow“.