(Paris) Gabriel Attal said Thursday evening on TF1 that he expected from the ministers of his newly appointed government “action” and “results” to “respond to the problems of the French” with “effectiveness”, promising in particular to lower taxes for the middle classes.
“What I want is action, action, action” and “results, results, results,” insisted the new prime minister, praising “the energy” of its ministers “200% committed to meeting the expectations of the French”.
In particular, he promised to keep Emmanuel Macron’s commitment to lower taxes for the middle classes.
“The president has committed (to lowering taxes by two billion euros, editor’s note) and obviously, we will meet his commitment” because the “French are waiting for us to act for them,” said the president. head of government.
Mr. Attal, in search of substantial savings to reduce the deficit and the debt, however refused to specify the timetable, while the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire, renowned for this position, had mentioned the inclusion of this reduction “if possible from the 2025 budget”.
” Presumption of innocence ”
Regarding the surprise appointment to Culture of the former Sarkozy Minister of Justice Rachida Dati, indicted in particular for corruption, Gabriel Attal invoked the “presumption of innocence”.
“Indictment is not a conviction […] this does not mean guilt,” he declared, saluting “a woman of commitment, of energy, who all her life fought to obtain what she wanted to obtain.”
On his appointment at the age of 34 as the youngest prime minister in the history of the Republic, he admitted to having wondered if he was “capable of assuming this function”.
But “I decided to get involved, because I love my country, because I want to meet the expectations of our fellow citizens,” he added, citing “the promotion of work, security , our public services, schools, hospitals, the challenge of the environment” and “the fight against global warming”.
“2027 is not the subject”
Emmanuel Macron and Gabriel Attal unveiled on Thursday a tight and largely right-wing government marked by the retention of several heavyweights and the unexpected arrival of Rachida Dati at Culture.
Asked about the right-wing of the government, he affirmed that he was “not there to ask (his) ministers to empty their pockets to show (him) the card of their political party”
He assured that the government included “people who have a right-wing sensibility” and people “who have a left-wing sensibility”, citing Éric Dupond-Moretti, who remains Keeper of the Seals, Stéphane Séjourné, the secretary general of the presidential party Renaissance appointed to Foreign Affairs, and Sylvie Retailleau, appointed to her former position of Minister of Higher Education.
Asked about his possible presidential ambitions, he replied that “2027 is not the subject, what interests me is 2024”.
He also expressed his conviction “that we can move forward”, despite the absence of an absolute majority in the National Assembly, and promised to “hear (the oppositions, Editor’s note)”. “We must try to work with them.”