Michel Barnier was the guest on TF1's 8 p.m. show this Tuesday evening, before decisive votes on draft budgets which could lead to government censorship. “The moment is very seriousdeclared the Prime Minister, it is the vote on the nation's budget which is in question, and which conditions the life of the municipalities, the State, the hospitals.
- “Probably” a 49.3
Asked about a possible activation of 49.3, Michel Barnier recalled that he “respect Parliament” and has “wanted him to debate until the end”. “I didn’t do 49.3 right away to cut off the discussion,” he declared. The budget “has now passed to the Senate where a large majority supports me, then there will be a joint committee, and then a vote probably with a 49.3 in the National Assembly because there is no majority”he explained. “This is how I will be obliged to propose to the National Assembly to adopt the budget”he warned.
Budget: Brussels offers a reprieve to the Barnier government
- “Serious turbulence” in case of censorship
“If there is a lead in the improbable but possible votes between the votes of Mr. Mélenchon, of the extreme left, of LFI, and the votes of the National Rally, to which would be joined the Socialist Party, the Communist Party, the Greens, I fall and the government stops”warned Michel Barnier. In this hypothesis, “there is no longer a budget, we will have to resume a discussion, there will be emergency measures, there will be a storm and serious turbulence on the financial markets” he warned.
“We already borrow at very high interest rates, the interest rates that we are obliged to respect to finance our debt with Chinese or American investors. They are currently almost at the level of Greece”added the Prime Minister.
- Unpaid civil servants if there is no budget
Michel Barnier was then questioned about the payment of civil servants and the payment of pensions owed by the State if there is no budget. “In this hypothesis, and if the government falls, there are emergency measures that we take immediately to be able to pay”replied the Prime Minister.
“But that does not cover the whole year 2025 and above all it does not prevent the crisis, nor the mistrust of the financial markets, nor the fact that everything stops and that we have to start again, that there will be a new budget law »he insisted. “It’s wasted time and I think we have no time to waste”reiterated Michel Barnier.
- The Prime Minister will not resign
The head of government ruled out the possibility of a resignation on his part. “Why do you want me to resign?” »he asked. “I hope to be there” in 2025, he added. “It depends on the National Assembly, everyone knows the rules of the game, I am the first to know them”he concluded.
(With AFP)
