The Prime Minister gave an interview to “La Tribune on Sunday”, while he will face his first motion of censure on Tuesday and present his draft budget for 2025 on Thursday.
He again lists several avenues for savings. The Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, speaks in an interview at La Tribune SundaySunday October 6, warning once again of the risks of a “crisis”. Statements made while the head of government will face a motion of censure on Tuesday and he must present his draft budget for 2025 on Thursday. Michel Barnier announces in this interview that he will go to New Caledonia “when the time comes”hoping to find a “path of appeasement” thanks to the measures provided for in its general policy declaration. Here are several things to remember from his remarks.
The postponement of the revaluation of pensions confirmed
Michel Barnier confirms the postponement of the revaluation of pensions from January 1 to July 1, which should reduce spending “to the tune of 4 billion euros”, unless parliamentarians “find equivalent savings” elsewhere. “I understand that this measure, which we put in the budget, a reevaluation which will take place in 2025 anyway, (…) provokes and creates concerns, especially for so many people who have small pensions”had previously admitted Michel Barnier on the sidelines of a breeding summit in Puy-de-Dôme.
The RN deputies will oppose this postponement, their leader, Marine Le Pen, announced on Friday on the X network. A repeal text will also be proposed on October 31 to the National Assembly, thanks to a “parliamentary niche” of the RN group.
Savings avenues revealed
“The crisis, if we do nothing, is likely. Our duty is therefore to prevent it.” Once again, Michel Barnier justifies his measures of “redress” already contested public finances, which will represent 60 billion in savings in the next budget, including 40 billion in spending reductions and 20 billion in additional taxes. “It is a duty of responsibility to curb the public deficit”he said. “The tax increases will be exceptional and targeted at large businesses and very high incomes. Their maximum duration will be two years and it will be enshrined in law”explains the Prime Minister, after a first clarification in the program “L’Evénement” Thursday evening.
Michel Barnier also declares in The Tribune to want “goodbye” reductions in company contributions, with the objective of “withdraw” four billion in aid. Other avenues are outlined in the social sphere, such as “the cost of work stoppages”. “We will discuss it with parliamentarians”he says on this subject. Or the “windfall effects” of learning, without any quantified objective at this stage.
The State will also be called upon to contribute and “we are going to ask all ministers to make an effort”affirms the head of government. Including Defense, Justice or Research, although covered by programming laws, but which “will have to provide their share of efforts, in particular through redeployment”.
The Prime Minister generally intends“simplify the functioning of the State” by removing duplicates such as “two agencies to promote the French economy abroad”Business France and Atout France. “We will also engage in work with local authorities”with Catherine Vautrin, the new Minister of Partnership with the Territories. However, he assures that he “there will be no planing” on positions in the public service. “I know that we need civil servants for quality public service in health, in hospitals, in national education, for security.”
In matters of immigration, “means” to facilitate expulsions
The Prime Minister wishes “use all means“to facilitate expulsions,”including the renegotiation of bilateral treaties, to improve dialogue with Morocco, Algeria, Senegal and other countries”. A subject which falls under a diplomatic competence shared with Emmanuel Macron. “I will talk about it with the Head of State so that we can find the best solutions”declares Michel Barnier.
However, no law on immigration, as demanded by Marine Le Pen. “If we want to act most effectively and quickly for the French, we must first effectively implement all the arsenal that exists.”he argues. “Proposing new laws and getting them passed takes time. I’m not saying we won’t do it, but the agenda is already full.”
A visit to New Caledonia “when the time is right”
“I think it’s a prime minister’s responsibility.” Michel Barnier announced that he would travel to New Caledonia “when the time comes”hoping to find a “path of appeasement” thanks to the “postponement of the elections which were planned and [à] the failure to refer the matter to Congress to ratify the initially planned thaw of the electorate”measures mentioned during its general policy declaration. “We will take the time, at least a year, to re-discuss it and find a new balance. We can rebuild a dialogue between all communities”he specified, recalling that the President of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, and her Senate counterpart, Gérard Larcher, would carry out a good offices mission in the archipelago.
The project to reform the electoral body, carried by Emmanuel Macron and Gérald Darmanin, had triggered, from May, the worst riots in forty years in New Caledonia, leaving 13 dead, including two gendarmes. Enormous damage is also to be deplored and tensions in the archipelago are still ongoing.
Words of appeasement for his political allies
“I trust my allies.” Four days before the presentation of the 2025 budget, the Prime Minister recognizes that he will have “needs everyone” and pays tribute to his predecessor Gabriel Attal, now head of the first group of his very relative majority. Facing “a very degraded situation”Michel Barnier therefore plays appeasement with his own camp.
“The debt I found is not only that of my immediate predecessors”but “the fruit of twenty years of carelessness”he emphasizes in the interview, where he credits Gabriel Attal with having “started to reduce public spending and make efforts”. A gesture of appeasement after the tensions that have emerged in recent weeks between the two men, notably in disagreement over the tax increases envisaged by the new tenant of Matignon.
“I have a lot of esteem for Gabriel Attal. He is a high-quality elected official who has a future. I understand what is being said, but there is no difficulty between us, even if we have a different temperament and style”assures Michel Barnier, who does not forget that his junior leads a contingent of 95 deputies. “He is at the head of an important parliamentary group. I need him”he admits. More broadly, “the government needs everyone”he adds, citing “especially” the tenors of the center and the right Laurent Wauquiez, François Bayrou and Edouard Philippe.