The government of Michel Barnier unveiled this Thursday, October 10, its bill for the budget for the year 2025. A project which includes cuts in many areas, such as the Ministry of Labor and public services, and increases in taxes. Enough to provoke angry reactions, particularly on the left, but also among social partners.
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Savings of 60 billion euros are hoped for by the government, which presented its 2025 budget proposal. Faced with an emergency, there are few other choices », insisted the Prime Minister, Michel Barnierduring the Council of Ministers. Sensing an outcry, the Minister of the Economy, Antoine Armand, quickly sought to reassure: “ The increases will be temporary, targeted and exceptional. We will not change our tax doctrine and our supply policy in favor of employment, investment and activity. »
Also readFrance: what the 2025 draft budget contains
The CGT fears a new “ degradation of public service »
But barely revealed, the project was roundly criticized from both sides. Several measures bristle within the opposition and the social partners. The 2025 budget provides for 4,000 fewer teachers and 2,200 fewer civil servants. Intolerable for Denis Gravouil, member of the CGT confederal office, who denounces “ clearly an austerity budget » and a blow to public services: “ For example, we are going to cut 2,200 civil servant positions even though we know that we need several hundred thousand in hospitals and schools alone. This means further degradation of public service. Parliament must vote for something else. »
“ There is a small return to a tax increase, but very temporary, and for the richest households. That’s not what solidarity is, it’s not enough. Parliament is expected to completely revise this policy which was already largely rejected at the ballot boxes in June and July », continues Denis Gravouil at the microphone of Gali Boninjournalist in the Economy department of RFI.
Medef warns of “job cuts”
Another measure that is not unanimous: an increase in taxes for the wealthiest households and an exceptional tax for large businesses. This time, it is within Medef, the French employers’ association, that we are complaining. “ There is a responsibility to lead our country to safety. However, the effort, as it is presented today, seems to focus heavily on businesses. (…) It’s adding water to a bathtub that has holes. It’s not necessarily very effective », says Fabrice Le Saché, spokesperson for the movement.
He continues: “ This economic situation is worrying. If we add a sharp increase in taxation and remove the exemptions from which businesses benefited, we will see the results: job cuts. I’m not sure that creating unemployment is very beneficial for public spending. »
“ Scuttling ” And ” monstrous bleeding » of National Education
On the left, the 2025 draft budget is roundly criticized. Arthur Delaporte, socialist deputy for Calvados, denounces the planned savings on public spending: “ When we are told “40 billion euros in savings”, we have the impression that it is almost painless. It’s a number. But behind these savings, there are positions, jobs, public service, extremely tangible things. When we say that we are going to cut more than 2,000 positions in National Education, it means fewer teachers in front of students, class closures in the countryside as well as in the city. This has a knock-on effect on already overcrowded classes. When we say that we are going to remove agents from the Ministry of Labor, it means less support for job seekers, less work for professional integration, there are a whole number of problems which, behind it, will have concrete repercussions on the lives of French people. »
The rebellious Jean-Luc Mélenchon criticized the measure on X (formerly Twitter): “ 4,000 fewer positions in Education. After spreading misery, here is the organization of ignorance. This budget is a calamity. »
On the same social network, Guislaine David, general secretary of FSU-Snuipp, the first nursery and elementary union, denounces a “ public school scuttling », while the Snalc union evokes a “ monstrous bleeding » for National Education.
Criticism from the far right and center
On the far right, the National Rally deputy Jean-Philippe Tanguy, for his part, believes that “ see no break with the mismanagement of the last 50 years “. Furthermore, ” the effort is very poorly distributed ”, according to him, “ since we identify at least 7 billion euros for the middle and working classes and only 2 billion euros for the most privileged. And that, for us, is unacceptable “.
Even within the Macronist camp, the project is scratched. “ We must not break growth, we must not prevent the creation of value in France, we must not return to full employment », Reacted on Franceinfo the deputy Sylvain Maillard. The group of MoDem deputies, a partner of the government, said in a press release that it was ready to engage in the budgetary debate “ with a constructive spirit “. But he asked that these “ economic measures » be « accompanied ” by ” more structural reforms “.
(And with AFP)