Bruno Starosta spoke at length about public spending in an interview with the “Journal du Dimanche”. Days after the publication of the Court of Auditors’ annual report, he condemned the “unsustainable” model.
“This system is out of control. Bruno Le Maire was not very optimistic in the interview Sunday papers. After various announcements of budget cuts, the economy minister calls for an end to the “welfare state”. To be replaced by the “Protector of the State”.
Also read:
CONVERSATION. Pierre Moscovici: “Today, France stands with its debt at the wall”
“The welfare state ended up being a machine for piling on new public spending without examining its relevance or effectiveness or questioning previous spending,” he said. These statements come a few weeks after the announcement of the cancellation of 10 billion euros of loans for 2024. And the wish, a few days later, of Thomas Cazenave, the minister for public accounts, to achieve additional savings of 20 billion euros for 2025.
“There’s always someone who pays for free”
Another element of context: the annual report of the Court of Auditors, published this week, appears to highlight the complicated situation of public finances. The institution estimates that “around 50 billion in savings between 2025 and 2027” will be needed to meet the target of reducing the public deficit to 3% expected at the end of the five-year period. “We must regain control of this system that has become uncontrollable”, Bruno Le Maire therefore prescribed, before condemning: “What is its ultimate goal, really? Free everything, for everyone, all the time: it is unsustainable.” Because for the minister, “there’s always someone who pays for free.”
Also read:
State deficit: why budget cuts will far exceed 10 billion euros
Without giving a plan or real solutions, Bruno Le Maire reiterated that we must “once and for all” get away from the mirage of universal free access. However, tenant Bercy put back on the table the idea of further tightening unemployment insurance conditions, “we still have one of the most generous compensation periods in Europe. This generosity comes at a high price: the unemployment rate is still higher than that of our main economic partners,” he said.