“The Prime Minister's main concern”: Gabriel Attal renews the 2025 budget, identical to that of the previous year

Gabriel Attal reconduit ce mardi le budget 2025 à l'identique. EPA – ANDRE PAIN

The outgoing government has renewed the amount of state credits for 2025, at 492 billion euros, Matignon told the press on Tuesday, while the next team, which has not yet been appointed by Emmanuel Macron, will only have a few weeks to prepare the 2025 budget.

The outgoing government of Gabriel Attal has prepared a spending plan for 2025 equivalent to that of 2024 that the new executive will be able to modify before the examination of the Finance Bill in the National Assembly in the fall, Matignon announced on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister's concerns

The "ceiling letters" defining the envelopes allocated to each ministry must leave "in the next few hours", specified the services of the Prime Minister who is living his last days at Matignon. The draft of the 2025 Finance Bill, which will be presented on Tuesday, October 1, provides for spending of €492 billion, equivalent to that of 2024.

“The Prime Minister's main concern is that the government that succeeds him has the means to present a budget”, Matignon stressed during a presentation to the press. “The new government that will be appointed will be able to make the adjustments it deems necessary within the framework of the priorities that it will have defined”, it was added.

President Emmanuel Macron is consulting party leaders and presidents of the parliamentary groups of both chambers from Friday before the appointment of a Prime Minister, “to continue to move towards the constitution of the broadest and most stable majority possible to serve the country”, the Elysée said.

France's governance has been on hold since the dissolution of the National Assembly, decided by the head of state, which resulted in a very divided National Assembly following the legislative elections of June 30 and July 7. While waiting for the appointment of the new head of government, the resigning ministers from Gabriel Attal's government are managing current affairs.

Gabriel Attal "concerned"

A first meeting of the Finance Committee is to be held on September 11, Reuters learned from its chairman, La France Insoumise MP Eric Coquerel. “The Prime Minister is concerned about restoring public finances”, Matignon stressed on Tuesday, insisting on the objective of falling below the public deficit limit of 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2027 in accordance with the European Stability and Growth Pact. France anticipates a public deficit of 5.1% this year, instead of the 4.4% previously planned.

The 2025 budget will have to take inflation into account, which will result in a reduction in allocations of around 10 billion euros, Matignon said. “There are necessary savings that will have to absorb the increase in inflation”, it was added. The Military Programming Law will be preserved and the funds allocated to employment assistance may be reviewed in a context of falling unemployment, it was specified from the same source.