The grand oral has passed. Unfazed despite the uproar in the hemicycle, Michel Barnier outlined his priorities on Tuesday October 1 during his general policy declaration to the National Assembly.
In a long speech lasting almost an hour and a half, the new Prime Minister, from the Republicans (LR), presented his “five priority projects”: “Standard of living”, “public services”, school and health in the lead, “security”, “immigration” and “fraternity”. With particular emphasis on the recovery of public finances and the reduction of France’s “colossal” debt. A look back at Michel Barnier’s main declarations to the National Assembly.
The objective of reducing public accounts
First concrete commitment formulated by Michel Barnier: reduce the deficit to 5% of GDP in 2025, with the objective of returning below 3% in 2029, while the deficit should reach 6% this year. “The first remedy for the debt is the reduction of expenditure” and “in 2025, two thirds of the recovery effort will come from there,” he added. Michel Barnier calls in particular to “renounce magic money”.
Second “remedy” cited: “The efficiency of public spending.” The Prime Minister calls in particular to “hunt for duplication, inefficiencies, fraud, abuse of the system and unjustified rents”, while developing “everywhere a culture of evaluation” of this efficiency.
A tax effort asked of the richest
The third remedy will be the most painful: fiscal leverage. “Our taxes are among the highest in the world” but “the situation of our accounts today requires a limited time effort which must be shared, in a demand for tax justice”. Namely a participation requested from the largest companies and “the most fortunate French people”, announced Michel Barnier.
The Prime Minister also intends to ask for “participation in collective recovery from large and very large companies which make significant profits”, without “calling into question our competitiveness”. Efforts that he promises are “limited in time”.
A desire to toughen migration policy
The Prime Minister also judged that immigration and integration policies are no longer controlled “satisfactorily”. Michel Barnier outlined new avenues for reform, such as “more efficient and local processing of asylum applications so that applicants quickly obtain a decision”.
On the sensitive issue of better execution of obligations to leave French territory (OQTF), a debate relaunched in part of the political class after the murder of a student in Paris, Michel Barnier proposes to facilitate “the exceptional extension of the detention of illegal aliens. First set at 10 days in 1993, it was exceptionally increased to 90 days with the Collomb law of 2018.
The Prime Minister also opened the way for a review of French policy on two sensitive subjects: visas and bilateral agreements. “My government will not refrain from making the granting of visas more conditional on obtaining the consular passes necessary for deportations to the border,” he declared.
Judicial reforms on sentences and violence against minors
Michel Barnier also wanted judicial reforms. The Prime Minister first announced that his government was going to propose “limiting” the possibilities of modifying sentences so that they could be carried out. The Barnier government also plans “greater recourse” to community service, administrative fines and criminal fixed fines, with deductions from salaries or social benefits to ensure that they are paid.
Furthermore, Michel Barnier said he wanted to “stop the violence of minors”. To do this, he said he wanted to take up the provisions presented in May by his predecessor Gabriel Attal, who had hoped that a law would be passed “before the end of the year” to allow in particular an “immediate appearance” of young people from of 16 years, a measure nevertheless criticized by the magistrates.
The Prime Minister also recognized the need to “build prison places”, while diversifying “confinement solutions, […] particularly for juvenile offenders”. He said he was in favor of new establishments of short sentences for juvenile offenders.
Ecology: more nuclear power, fewer regulations
Michel Barnier also mentioned, as when he arrived at Matignon, the “ecological debt”, confirming the continued development of nuclear power, “but also of renewable energies”. He also described the ecological transition as “the driving force behind our industrial policy”, listing several objectives of his government: “decarbonization of factories, encouragement of innovation, establishment of new transition industries, [et] strengthening our recycling sectors.
Not without some setbacks to come on environmental regulations, including on housing: to boost land, the Prime Minister promises to “evolve the Zero net artificialization regulations in a pragmatic and differentiated manner to meet the needs of industry and the accommodation”.
Finally, Michel Barnier chose to focus on “the question of water” and its scarcity, hoping for the establishment soon of a “major national conference” on this theme.
On social issues, dialogue and red lines
Main point of anger on the left and the far right, the pension reform could undergo “reasonable and fair adjustments”, in consultation with the social partners, in particular on “the questions of progressive retirement, professional attrition, equality between women and men.
Concerning the bill on the end of life, the examination of which was suspended in the Assembly in June by the dissolution, the Prime Minister announced that he wanted to “resume dialogue” with Parliament at the start of the year 2025.
Finally, Michel Barnier set his red lines: “No questioning of the freedoms won over the years” on abortion, marriage for all or PMA will not be tolerated, he insisted, specifying that his government will not would accept “no accommodation on the defense of secularism”.
Overseas: a decline in New Caledonia
Michel Barnier also spoke of the difficulties linked to overseas territories. In particular concerning the current crisis in New Caledonia: the provincial elections which were to be held there before the end of the year will be postponed “until the end of 2025” because of the explosive situation in the archipelago. The constitutional bill to thaw the electoral body, at the origin of the riots which ignited the archipelago, will not “be submitted to Congress”, the Prime Minister also announced.
The Prime Minister also announced that he will chair an “interministerial committee for Overseas Territories” in the first half of 2025, in order to “valorize their own resources” and “fight against the high cost of living” in these territories.
A desire for democratic appeasement
Finally, the Prime Minister recognized the unstable nature of his government and the divisions within the French political class. Michel Barnier proposed several points to remedy this. In a turbulent Assembly, he called for new methods of “listening, respect and dialogue between the government and Parliament”, while promising that he will ask his government to “rely more on parliamentary work “.
Likewise, he said he was “ready to open a reflection and action without ideology on proportional voting” for the legislative elections, a sea serpent demanded by part of the political class, from the left to the National Rally through the MoDem.