The two former ministers, deputies of Ensemble pour la République, put forward their savings plans this Sunday with a view to the 2025 budget.
Better respect the 35 hours, or even move to 36 hours: Gabriel Attal and Gérald Darmanin put forward savings ideas this Sunday, October 6 with the objective of making the French “work more”, worrying about tax increases wanted by the government of Michel Barnier.
“There is today a risk that we identify, which is to overload the boat on taxes and instead of that, we will rather propose reforms and the valorization of work”, pleaded the former Prime minister on TF1 on Sunday evening, assuring that he wanted to “help” Michel Barnier to “reduce the deficits”.
“Another path is possible than that of excessively massive tax increases which would create unemployment”, continued Gabriel Attal, saying in particular that he was in favor of the new government’s resumption of the unemployment insurance reform prepared when he was at Matignon. “She is ready, there is a decree, you just have to sign it,” said the head of the Ensemble pour la République (EPR) deputies.
“We don’t work enough”
Another Macronist executive, Gérald Darmanin, also warned of the risks of an increase in taxes. “A fiscal shock does not make an economic policy. And this path risks killing growth and creating mass unemployment,” warned the former Minister of Public Accounts and the Interior in an interview with the daily Les Échos.
As the presentation of the draft budget by Prime Minister Michel Barnier approaches on Thursday, the MP from the North continues his campaign of opposition to the temporary and targeted tax increases that the government is planning.
“The subject in France is that we don’t work enough,” said Gérald Darmanin. “The right answer” would therefore be to “work more”, continues the MP, announcing in passing that Michel Barnier will go to the meeting of the EPR group in the Assembly on Tuesday.
Although a member of the “common base” on which Michel Barnier intends to rely in the National Assembly, Gérald Darmanin has also announced that he will not “vote” on the part dedicated to revenue in the finance bill for 2025 , if it remains as is. “On the other hand, I could vote for savings in public spending,” he specifies.
Budget 2025: how does Michel Barnier plan to reduce public spending?
Public broadcasting reform
Gérald Darmanin proposes several savings levers: a reform of public broadcasting, “the elimination of a second public holiday in the public as well as in the private sector”, the transition to “36 or 37 hours” of weekly work in the sector public, or the increase in registration fees for foreign students.
“Another option is to set up a second waiting day for sick leave in the public service,” proposed the parliamentarian from Tourcoing, who wants to “put a definitive end to the 35 hours”.
Less radical, Gabriel Attal called for civil servants to “really work 35 hours” and not less. “We know that today (…) not everyone works the 35 hours. It would bring in a billion euros to put everyone on the 35 hours. It would avoid some of the efforts that are requested, for example, from our retirees,” explained the former Prime Minister.
