Emmanuel Macron brushes aside the hypothesis of an amending budget before the fall

During a meeting with majority executives at the Elysée, the head of state insisted on the weakness of tax revenues compared to expenditure.

The option of a corrective finance bill (PLFR) was ruled out by the executive, franceinfo learned Monday April 8 from consistent sources, confirming information from the Figaro. Emmanuel Macron brushed aside this hypothesis during a meeting of executives of the presidential majority at the Elysée in the afternoon.

This option was mentioned to respond to the difficult situation in public finances, with a deficit finally established at the end of March at 5.5% for the year 2023, instead of the 4.9% initially planned. Before that, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, announced in mid-February a vast savings plan of 10 billion euros for 2024.

During this meeting, the President of the Republic preferred to emphasize the problem of lower tax revenue linked to the reduction in growth for 2023, rather than on possible “excessive spending”.

Oppositions raise possible motion of censure

A PLFR was demanded by the left and right oppositions. On social networks, several opponents of the Head of State denounced his choice not to resort to an amending budget before the fall, the period during which the finance bill is traditionally studied. “When a budget needs to be redone, it must in fact be submitted to the Assembly”insisted Eric Coquerel, president of La France insoumise of the finance committee, who believes that the filing of a motion of censure “is necessary” if this is not the case.

“Emmanuel Macron persists: public spending is not ‘excessive'”mocked François-Xavier Bellamy, head of the Republican list in the European elections.

Through Eric Ciotti, boss of LR, his party has posted “red lines” for the future rebalancing of France’s budget, such as the increase in taxes and the deindexation of pensions to inflation. If these were to be crossed in the coming months, right-wing deputies could table a motion of censure, which could obtain the support of the National Rally and the various left-wing parties at the Palais-Bourbon. Enough, in theory, to bring together 289 deputies and bring down the government of Gabriel Attal.