To reduce the public deficit to 5.4% of GDP in 2025, the government announced unprecedented budget cuts. Sports, culture, innovation and public development assistance are among the sectors affected. A strategy praised for its ambition, but criticized for its sacrifices.
Unprecedented budget cuts
During its intervention in the Senate, the Bayrou government presented a finance bill for 2025 marked by a reduction of more than 30 billion euros in public spending. Objective: to contain the public deficit to 5.4% of GDP, a figure slightly higher than that envisaged by Michel Barnier's previous team (5%). According to Amélie de Montchalin, Minister of Public Accounts, this is “ biggest effort to cut spending in twenty-five years ».
These measures include notable reductions in several strategic sectors. The France 2030 program, dedicated to innovation in key areas such as health and research, will see its budget reduced by more than half a billion euros. Furthermore, Public Development Assistance (ODA) will suffer a cut of 781 million euros, a decision strongly criticized by left-wing senators, who denounce a ” renunciation » to France's international commitments.
The cultural sector is also affected, with a reduction of 50 million euros planned for 2025. This drop is in addition to the 100 million euros cut under the previous government, bringing the total Culture budget to 4.45 billion euros. euros. However, specific funding has been allocated to heritage preservation, while 5% of France's 45,000 historic monuments are considered in danger.
Sport, “great sacrifice” of budgetary decisions
The Sports budget, already limited, will suffer an additional reduction of 34 million euros. This announcement, made in a context of tensions in the Senate, aroused strong opposition. Iconic figures of French sport, such as Teddy Riner and Léon Marchand, expressed their dissatisfaction on social networks.
-Jean-François Husson, general budget rapporteur, criticized this decision, pointing out a lack of preparation on the part of the government: “ We found out at the last minute, and frankly, it's not serious. » The Senate mainly rejected this proposal, fearing to see sport become the “ great sacrifice » of fiscal policy, just a few months after the Olympic Games.
These budget cuts, although ambitious in their scale, raise fears of a weakening of sectors considered essential for innovation, international influence and social cohesion. If the government speaks of a historic effort, its choices are already provoking strong protests, particularly within a Senate more divided than ever.
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