“The backpack is becoming too heavy for La Poste”. These words are those of Eric Lombard, general director of Caisse des Dépôts (CDC), regarding the group’s public service missions. Questioned this Wednesday, May 29 by the Economic Affairs Commission of Senate regarding the avenues for improving La Poste’s budget, the latter mentioned the possibility of “adjusting the missions in terms of compensation”. Estimating thereby that the disparity of the group’s tasks “is also beginning to weigh on the Caisse des Dépôts, despite the size of the group and its capacity for resistance”.
Today, La Poste’s four public service missions are universal postal service, contribution to regional planning, transport and distribution of the press and banking accessibility. Today, “the four public service missions are fully compensated by the budget”, but the risk of overcompensation, “unfortunately, is extremely remote” indicated Eric Lombard.
Two options are possible according to the head of the CDC: “the fact that the State increases this funding” or “reduces the cost of missions”. While being extremely “attached”, for example, to the mission of regional planning, “this subject must be open with the public authorities. And naturally, with Parliament, within the framework of the postal law that you mention”.
Public service missions in deficit
The CDC announced in March that it had generated a net profit of 3.9 billion euros in 2023, down 7%, penalized by the real estate crisis and the difficulties of La Poste, which it controls and whose result was halved.
In 2024, “the two difficulties which weighed on in 2023 remain, that is to say that the real estate crisis is not over” and concerning La Poste, “the deficit of public service missions remains”, indicated Eric Lombard. However, he believes that “the other activities, to date, have had good results and are entirely in line with their budget, which means that we anticipate a good level of results.”
The director general of the CDC, however, reminded the senators that La Poste “has a level of debt which is starting to become a subject that we are monitoring”. It “would not be in debt at this level if it had not been for these accumulated deficits which reach 3.7 billion euros. Imagine the Post Office with 3.7 billion euros less in aid. That changes a lot of exploitation,” he added.