Arthur De Laborde // Photo credit: Thomas SAMSON / AFP
08:03, October 7, 2024
It’s a high-risk week for Michel Barnier. The new Prime Minister will have to resolve the thorny issue of the budget, which will be presented this week to the Council of Ministers. A sensitive issue and particularly monitored by Emmanuel Macron, who intends to continue to influence his relationship with the head of government.
This is a decisive week for the government. The 2025 budget will be presented to the Council of Ministers on Thursday. Michel Barnier is on the front line on this very sensitive issue, but behind the scenes, he is closely monitored by Emmanuel Macron. Because, faced with the budget wall, the President of the Republic refers to the responsibility of the Prime Minister.
A president who still hopes to weigh
Officially in the background on internal affairs, the head of state intends to concentrate on European and international issues. But it is difficult to remain in his role as president and let the Prime Minister govern when he begins to break with the pro-business course set since 2017.
By defending tax increases for “the largest companies”, Michel Barnier turns the page on fiscal stability and the policy favorable to investment still defended by Emmanuel Macron. However, in the shadows, the president hopes to continue to have influence.
Call to negotiate
Thus, this weekend, the President called on the Prime Minister to dialogue with parliamentary groups and officials who have, I quote, “a fairly clear vision of public affairs and the budget of recent months and recent years. “
In other words, without directly intervening, the Head of State strongly encourages Michel Barnier to negotiate with the heavyweights in his camp like Gabriel Attal and Gérald Darmanin… members of the main group of the relative majority supporting the Prime Minister while contesting his budgetary choices.
