“Changes and ruptures”: this is what the new Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, promised during his handover of power with Gabriel Attal at Matignon, Thursday, September 5, during which he outlined the priorities of his future government. Among them, “school”, but also, “access to public services”, “daily security”, “control of immigration”, as well as work and purchasing power.
Although the roadmap of the future government is not yet known – we will have to wait for the general policy speech – some of the themes set out are part of the political DNA of Michel Barnier, former candidate in the right-wing primary in 2021, with a view to the presidential election in 2022. What program was he defending just three years ago and what can this indicate about his plans for the country?
Immigration control
Retirement at 65, the fight against “welfare”, immigration control: the new Prime Minister campaigned for a liberal economic policy coupled with great firmness on the sovereign. The former European Commissioner had thus defended very firm positions on immigration and security: “We repair nothing, we build nothing without security and if it is the smugglers and the judges who decide who can enter France and who can stay there”, he affirmed in Figaro in November 2021.
Michel Barnier therefore proposed a “moratorium” on immigration for three to five years: this “pause” would be a “prerequisite for taking back control of our migration policy,” he explained. With this in mind, the candidate wanted to “cease the unconditional regularization of undocumented immigrants,” “accelerate the asylum seeker’s process,” toughen the criteria for family reunification, and reduce the issuing of long-stay visas.
He had also surprised, even shocked, even his own camp, by advocating a referendum to allow for “freedom of maneuver” in matters of immigration, thus suggesting that France should free itself from the rules guaranteed by the legal authorities of the European Union and the Council of Europe. Criticized, the person concerned had castigated “cries of outrage” and a “bad controversy”, and maintained that in matters of immigration, “if we don’t change anything, there will be other Brexits”.
Budgetary rigor
The candidate for the 2022 presidential election promised at the time a “strict savings trajectory” for the state budget and “debt control”. To stimulate the “return of work and activity, […] “Key to growth”, he recommended reducing production taxes by 10 billion euros, and lowering social security contributions on intermediate salaries, from 1.6 to 2.5 times the minimum wage – while planning to increase salaries in the “essential public services of health and education”.
A supporter of “courageous reforms”, Michel Barnier suggested “a move to retirement at 65” and “greater efficiency of the State” and local authorities, “in particular to eliminate all our administrative duplication”.
Fight against social fraud
Reciting a classic right-wing mantra, the former minister said he wanted to “encourage work and merit, to the detriment of welfare”, notably by suspending unemployment benefits “after two refusals of a reasonable offer”. However, he declared himself “much more concerned” with social dialogue than President Macron.
Michel Barnier also said he wanted to fight against social fraud, particularly in health insurance, and proposed to do so by replacing all vital cards with biometric cards, in order to “save considerable sums” by eliminating a “real nest of fraud”.
Environment
“We will reduce agricultural pollution with farmers, not against them. We will decarbonize the economy with businesses, not against them,” said the former minister, who proposed a “major national plan for housing insulation.” Michel Barnier also said he wanted to “relaunch” nuclear power and invest in renewable energies, such as photovoltaics, biomass, and hydropower – but not wind power “which causes a lot of damage.”
Having just been appointed to Matignon, Michel Barnier must now set about forming “a unifying government in the service of the country” at the request of Emmanuel Macron, with a view to quickly finalising the 2025 budget. He is due to meet with several personalities starting this Friday, September 6, including members of his party, Les Républicains.