The priorities for France's new government revealed in PM's first speech

RFI

2 October 2024 at 12:02 pm·1-min read

France's new Prime Minister Michel Barnier set out his stall on Tuesday with his maiden policy speech to a fractious parliament. From slashing debt to boosting nuclear power and restricting immigration, RFI looks at the issues he promised would be top of his government's priorities.

► Taming public debt

Number one on Barnier's to-do list is reducing France's €3.2 trillion public debt, which he called a "sword of Damocles" hanging heavy over France.

The prime minister set his government the target of cutting the deficit from more than 6 percent of GDP now to 5 percent in 2025 and 3 percent in 2029. He plans to make two-thirds of those savings by slashing public spending, though he didn't specify where.

Big companies and wealthy individuals will also be asked to contribute extra taxes, Barnier said – yet his finance minister later stressed that any hikes would come later, be temporary, and not apply to the vast majority of French tax payers.

Barnier also indicated he would be seeking savings through efficiency, pledging to merge government agencies and crack down on benefit fraud.

France targets the rich with temporary tax hikes to bring down debt

► Higher minimum wage, pension reform revisited

For all his talk of spending cuts, Barnier was keen to stress that it wouldn't be all austerity.

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► Taming public debt

► Higher minimum wage, pension reform revisited

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