The Minister of the Economy, Éric Lombard, presented this Monday an ambitious budgetary roadmap for 2025. Objective: reduce the public deficit to a controlled level while securing economic growth. This plan is based in particular on 50 billion euros in savings, a considerable sum which raises as many hopes as challenges.
The government has revised its budget forecasts for 2025 with a public deficit target of between 5% and 5.5% of GDP. This figure, although below the 6.1% expected for 2024, remains higher than that envisaged by the previous government, which aimed for 5%. Éric Lombard insisted on the importance of maintaining this balance so as not to compromise growth, while meeting the budgetary discipline requirements imposed by European partners.
Savings of 50 billion euros
To achieve this objective, the minister announced a savings plan of 50 billion euros, combining reductions in public spending and budgetary revisions. This amount includes cuts in certain sectors deemed less priority, while maintaining investments in key areas such as education, health and ecological transition. These efforts aim to fill part of the structural deficits and restore financial room for maneuver to the State.
Aware of the tensions caused by these announcements, Éric Lombard plans to meet the different political parties in Bercy in the days to come. He is counting on a reinforced dialogue with left-wing parties, which he considers to be interlocutors open to a budgetary compromise, unlike other political forces. This approach aims to avoid new parliamentary censorship, like that which hit the previous budget.
The Minister of the Economy faces criticism
Faced with criticism regarding the potential impact of these savings on public services, the minister wants to be reassuring. He says these budget cuts will be targeted to preserve essential sectors while reducing unnecessary spending. However, the scale of the savings raises concerns, particularly among local authorities and trade union organizations, who fear a weakening of certain services.
Beyond savings, the government seeks to protect and stimulate economic growth. This budgetary policy is intended to be a pragmatic response to the pressures exerted by public debt, while ensuring that the investments necessary for recovery are not compromised. For Éric Lombard, this balance between rigor and economic dynamism is the key to putting France back on a viable financial trajectory.
With this plan, the government intends to reassure the financial markets and its European partners while reaffirming its commitment to restoring public accounts. If the 50 billion savings represent a major challenge, this ambitious budgetary strategy will be crucial to meeting the economic challenges of the years to come.
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