A month after his appointment to Matignon, the Prime Minister was questioned about his project for France on Thursday evening, before heated exchanges between six representatives of the country’s three main political blocs.
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(Very) serious things have started for Michel Barnier and his “common base”. The Prime Minister delivered his general policy declaration on Tuesday October 1, a speech marked by the efforts required of the French to improve a very tense budgetary situation. Two days later, on France 2, he set about defending his roadmap.
An interview followed by a heated debate between six leaders of the main political parties: Manuel Bompard (La France insoumise), Olivier Faure (Socialist Party), Aurore Bergé (Renaissance), Marc Fesneau (MoDem), Eric Ciotti (Union of Rights for the Republic) and Laure Lavalette (National Rally). Franceinfo scrutinized five assertions made during this very lively political evening on France 2.
Michel Barnier is at the head of a government “less minority than the other bases”: it’s true
In the eyes of Michel Barnier, the “common base” which forms the basis of government is “less minority than the other bases” in the National Assembly. This is true, if we add up the different groups of the presidential bloc (Together for the Republic, MoDem and Horizons), which bring together 164 deputies, and the Republican Right group, with 47 elected officials. In total, this “base” therefore brings together 211 parliamentariansagainst 193 deputies for the New Popular Front and 142 deputies for the bloc of the National Rally and the Ciottists.
On the other hand, if these two other blocs ally themselves, they exceed the fateful threshold of 289 deputies which makes it possible to overthrow the government through a motion of censure.
The interest on the debt represents “750 euros per French person” each year, according to Michel Barnier: this is incorrect
Michel Barnier has made the recovery of public accounts one of his main objectives at Matignon. “The debt today is 3,220 billion euros”he warned Thursday evening. The precise figure is very close: “At the end of the second quarter of 2024, the public debt stands at 3,228.4 billion euros,” explains INSEE in its last publication of September 27.
“We are paying 60 billion this year in interest, that’s 750 euros of debt per French person, whether for a one-month-old baby or an elderly person like me”continued the Prime Minister, in reference to what is called the debt burden. But according to the latest available figure, published in autumn 2023 by the France Trésor Agency, “the budgetary debt burden is forecast at 52.2 billion euros” in 2024which is less than the amount mentioned by Michel Barnier.
If we do not know the details of the Prime Minister’s calculation, en dividing these 52.2 billion euros by 68 million French people, we obtain 767.7 euros, a figure slightly higher than its estimate. The next finance bill (PLF) for 2025, unveiled on October 10, will provide updated figures on the weight of the debt in France.
For Michel Barnier, “the Schengen rules make it possible” to reestablish controls at national borders: it’s true
The Prime Minister wants to put in place closer control of France’s borders with its neighbors within the European Union itself. “The Schengen rules allow to do so, he believes. This is what Germany has just done“.
In theory, however, there is no need for internal border controls. “Schengen rules abolish internal border controls, while harmonizing and strengthening the protection of the area’s external borders”, recalls the European Parliament website.
But in May 2024, the EU adopted a reform of the Schengen code. From now on, “the Schengen Borders Code (CFS) allows Member States to temporarily reintroduce control at internal borders in the event of a serious threat to public order or internal security”, specifies the European Commissionbefore qualifying: “The reintroduction of internal border control must be applied as a last resort, in exceptional situations, and must respect the principle of proportionality.”
The French “the vast majority say that there is too much immigration”: it’s more complicated
The president of the Union of Rights group, Eric Ciotti, emphasized his desire to see a referendum on immigration implemented. “The vast majority of French people, because they are lucid, say that there is too much immigration”he insisted, without supporting his point. Researchers observe a more nuanced reality: “52% of people continue to believe that there are too many immigrants in France. In 1988, there were 69%”explained sociologist Vincent Tiberj in an interview given to franceinfo, last December.
The sociologist, who looked at cultural values with an annual index which measures the feeling of tolerance of the French, recalled however that “according to the latest results, which date from 2022, 78% of people consider that immigration is a source of cultural enrichment”which shows that the perception of immigration is not uniform. “A sign of a tense public opinion on the issue, 82% of French people believe that immigration is a subject that we cannot talk about calmly in France”pointed an Ifop survey from June 2023.