“It’s still better than relaxation”

The Minister Delegate for Industry defends government policy. “We came out of the procedure known as excessive public deficits, we had been in it for years, right and left combined,” he says.

The Minister Delegate for Industry Roland Lescure defends Wednesday March 27 on franceinfo the use by the Prime Minister of the word “rigor”. “We will continue on the path of rigor and responsibility”, declared Gabriel Attal on Tuesday in front of the deputies. “It’s still better than relaxation and irresponsibility”points out Roland Lescure.

“Since 2017, obviously, apart from during the parenthesis of whatever the cost, we have been extremely rigorous” he maintains. The proof, “we came out of the procedure known as excessive public deficits, we had been in it for years, right and left combined.” After INSEE revealed France’s public deficit in 2023, of 5.5%, the government is exploring several avenues to make savings. Emmanuel Macron and the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire have already ruled out a tax increase. “I would be extremely careful before saying taxa, taxa, taxa and more”reacts for his part Roland Lescure.

“Be careful not to break one of the pillars of the French economy”

While voices are being raised in the Macronist camp to tax superprofits, he does not hide his skepticism. “In France, today, there are great companies which are super creative, super innovative, which have great results and which already pay great taxes”he says. “Be careful not to break one of the pillars of the French economy today, which is that we have companies, particularly industrial ones, which are regaining the upper hand in international competition,” supports the minister.

There is however “a sector apart”, according to him, “energy”. His supervisory minister, Bruno Le Maire, showed himself open on Tuesday to increasing the contribution on “inframarginal rent” of energy companies, swollen in recent years by the rise in energy prices. Roland Lescure summarizes the government’s state of mind: “We must be very rigorous today, but continue to prepare tomorrow and the day after tomorrow”.

“The best way to resolve the public deficit problem is to reindustrialize”, advocates Roland Lescure. He finally attacks “the so-called republican right”not shy of criticism against the executive. “In the middle of a budget debate”She “proposed to the Assembly dozens and dozens of amendments for hundreds of billions of euros in additional spending.” “We do not have to receive” lessons in budgetary responsibilities”, he snaps.