what to remember from the Prime Minister’s intervention

After making his general policy declaration, Tuesday and Wednesday before the National Assembly and the Senate, and one week before the presentation of his finance bill, Thursday October 10, Michel Barnier was the guest of the program “L’Événement” on France 2, Thursday October 3 in the evening. On this occasion, he was questioned at length about this narrow budget that he is preparing to present, and thanks to which he hopes to reduce the debt by 60 billion euros.

Denying everything « choc fiscal »as some assert, and any policy “austerity » and « rigueur »the Prime Minister revealed some details on the tax increases planned in the budget and answered questions on the policy he intends to implement at Matignon.

300 companies affected by tax increases

The head of government first gave additional information concerning the exceptional tax which will be levied on large companies. “We are going to ask for an effort from the largest companies which make more than 1 billion [d’euros de chiffre d’affaires] and a temporary exceptional effort”recalled Michel Barnier, specifying that some “300 companies” would be affected. THE « temps » of this additional contribution “will be fixed in law”et “it will be a year and maybe two years”he clarified. “But there will be no new taxes on almost all of the 4 million companies”he said.

2 billion in revenue thanks to the taxation of high incomes

The Prime Minister also gave more details on the tax increases for the wealthiest households planned in his budget. “The effort that we are going to ask for is based on a tax system for very high incomes which was put in place by François Fillon and Nicolas Sarkozy a few years ago. We are going to add something to this system for the exceptional and temporary participation of the most fortunate people”added the head of government.

This will allow “to recover 2 billion euros”he estimated, confirming that the households concerned will be, for example, “couples with a tax income of more than 500,000 euros”.

Postponement of the increase in pensions, a “fair” effort

Confirming the six-month postponement of the indexation of retirement pensions to inflation – from 1^is July 2025 instead of July 1^is January, the Prime Minister admitted that he was asking for « effort » to retirees. “I ask for an effort from everyone (…). And I think this one is fair and proportionate, although I know it is difficult”he defended. The Prime Minister, however, recalled that Parliament, “free to suggest changes”will decide “perhaps differently”during budgetary debates.

Savings in learning assistance, medical transport and thanks to the non-replacement of civil servants

Asked about the 40 billion savings planned in the budget which will be presented next week, Michel Barnier outlined some ideas. He declared that public services will be “merged”. “We will probably not replace all the civil servants [qui partent à la retraite] when they are not in direct contact with citizens”he also stated. “We are going to bring together administrations or state agencies that are duplicative, we can gain a few points of GDP by simplifying people’s lives”assured the Prime Minister.

To reduce public spending, the head of government spoke of the retargeting of aid granted to businesses for apprenticeships could be under study, but also of health transport for which France “spends billions”according to him. “Can’t we do better or just as well with a little less money? »he asked.

Asked about a possible effort requested from local authorities, for which the Court of Auditors proposes to eliminate 100,000 positions, Mr. Barnier advocated dialogue. “I want to make reforms not without people, without communities, without unions, but with themhe clarified. We’re going to make do, that’s the Barnier method. »

Immigration: “I’m the one who draws the line”

After the controversial remarks of the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, particularly on the rule of law, the Prime Minister assured: “I’m the one who sets the line” on immigration. “There will be rigorous measures to [la] master “he insisted.

The Prime Minister seemed to rule out the idea of ​​a new specific law, as demanded by the leader of the National Rally deputies, Marine Le Pen. “I am not going to announce laws in advance”he said, but “maybe there will be changes to the law [actuelle] if it is necessary ». “I am not going to get into major ideological debates”he concluded on this subject.

End of life: Michel Barnier “personally agree” with the initial version of the bill

Regarding this delicate subject which fractures political personnel, Michel Barnier said “in favor of resuming work at the time it was interrupted, [après] a very in-depth debate in Parliament which was suspended due to the dissolution”and confides having been “personally agree” with the initial version of the text opening a “assisted dying” sous “strict conditions”.

A “single social allowance” project

The Prime Minister announced his intention to launch “for next year” a construction site“single social allowance”. The objective of this measure will be “that at the end of this work, it pays more to work than not to work”he declared, specifying that this “construction will take a little time”. Mr. Barnier considered that it was necessary “debureaucratize” allowances and “perhaps sometimes increase some”like that intended for “people with disabilities”. The Prime Minister added that he did not have “found concrete proposals on this subject” of the single allowance. This project is one of those presented on Wednesday by Laurent Wauquiez, president of the Republican Right deputies (formerly Les Républicains). With his troops, he advocates a “single capped social allowance” has “70% of the minimum wage”intended according to him to fight against“assistantship”.

A “pause” on standards for farmers

Michel Barnier promised to “take a break from standards” pour ” encourage “ farmers affected by crises. “These farmers who are affected by health crises and poor harvests deserve to be encouraged. They are fed up. Fed up with constraints, rules and controls. So we’re going to take a break from the standards”declared the man who was Minister of Agriculture from 2007 to 2009 under the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy.