Revaluation of retirement pensions postponed, reduction in health insurance reimbursement, civil servant positions eliminated, exemptions from lowered employer contributions… The 2025 budget, supported by the new government of Michel Barnier, was unveiled last Thursday. It must be examined in the hemicycle of the National Assembly from Monday October 21 and encounters a certain hostility.
If the opposition, especially on the left, is head-on against the text, certain newly appointed ministers have also expressed their disagreement. Starting with the Minister of Justice Didier Migaud, who warned on Monday that he would not stay in government if the justice budget was not improved. His ministry having suffered a blow of nearly 500 million euros in the finance bill presented on Thursday. “If we stick to the ceiling letter, yes, I don’t see what I would still do in government,” responded on RTL the Minister of Justice. “I am mobilized so that upward adjustments can be proposed,” insisted the Minister of Justice, adding that Michel Barnier indicated that an amendment would be “tabled by the government as part of the parliamentary discussion to raise a certain number of budgets”.
Gas, a subject of contention
This weekend, various members of the government also showed their disagreement regarding the increase in taxes on gas, generating a certain cacophony. It all started on Friday after the Minister of Ecology Agnès Pannier-Runacher raised the possibility of an increase through a government amendment to the draft budget for this fossil energy which contributes to global warming. The underlying idea is to prevent carbon-based energy like gas from becoming less expensive than carbon-free energy, according to its advisors. A few hours later, Budget Minister Laurent Saint-Martin, however, indicated “not to be in favor of it”. While the government spokesperson, Maud Bregeon, assured that “there will be no increase in gas taxes”, arguing that this is the “arbitration” of the Prime Minister. This tax “doubled at the start of last year (in 2024, Editor’s note), it has already increased”, added Maud Bregeon, in reference to an increase occurring on January 1, 2024.
Despite several reminders from her colleagues, the Minister of Ecology seems determined. According to the Politico website, his office refused to confirm the abandonment of this idea. “The parliamentary discussion will be an opportunity to go further to green our taxation, both with regard to aviation and fossil fuels. This is what is indicated in the PLF press kit,” said indicated one of his advisors.
Amendments supported
Nearly 1,900 amendments were tabled for examination in the Finance Committee of the Assembly. A raw figure which does not take into account “inadmissibility, nor possible withdrawals of amendments by their authors”. In detail, the New Popular Front (NFP) groups tabled a total of 797 amendments (including almost half from the PS) and the “common base” groups 767 (including almost half from the Republican Right). ).
Amendments defended by certain ministers hope that they will be able to change the 2025 budget. This is the case of Clara Chappaz, the Secretary of State for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology. In an interview with The Tribuneshe calls on parliamentarians to find alternatives, that is to say new savings on other aid, to save in particular the social aspect of the Young Innovative Company system.
According to his statements to La Tribune Sundaythe Minister of National Education Anne Genetet also seems to share the same aspirations regarding the parliamentary debate. “The parliamentary debate has not yet started, there may still be developments!” observes the minister, claiming to have “fought to increase the school’s resources”.