the PS calls for “remarkable concessions” in order to not censor the Bayrou authorities | EUROtoday

The Socialist Party (PS) threatens censorship if it doesn’t acquire “remarkable concessions” of the federal government on the 2025 price range. The PS demanded, Monday January 6, an actual “negotiation” on the topic, specifying that the federal government has already made “a proposed modification” of the contested pension reform.

By launching discussions on Monday with the political events represented in Parliament, the ministers of the financial system, Eric Lombard, and of public accounts, Amélie de Montchalin, hope to contain them within the preparation of a price range of ” compromise “ which will be adopted within the National Assembly, the place former Prime Minister Michel Barnier stumbled upon a movement of censure, on December 4, 2024.

Five ministers, together with Catherine Vautrin (work and well being) and Amélie de Montchalin, may even obtain, from Tuesday, the presidents of the parliamentary teams to attempt to “coconstruct” the 2025 Social Security price range.

This Monday happened “an appointment that we hope will be useful, but we have called back (…) that we were not ready to sell out and that, if there were not remarkable concessions for the French, we were ready again to take our responsibilities, including through censorship”declared the first secretary of the PS Olivier Faure, at the end of the almost two-hour interview in Bercy.

“We don’t want that; we hope for progress, for there to be a fruitful dialogue”he added: “We want a negotiation. » While the government said on Monday it expected more dialogue “fertile” with the left-wing events and with the National Rally, “there was a proposal for modification, evolution of the retirement reform”welcomed the president of the socialist group within the Senate, Patrick Kanner.

“Neither pessimistic nor optimistic”

Before meeting the socialist elected officials, Eric Lombard estimated on France Inter that “convergences [étaient] possible with the Socialist Party, but also with the Communist Party and with the Greens”. The objective of the minority government is to “reach an agreement or,[u] minimum[um]a non-censorship agreement »he said.

The meetings are planned until the general policy declaration of the Prime Minister, François Bayrou, on January 14, with the hope of having a budget “during February”according to Amélie de Montchalin. Received first, Marc Fesneau, president of the MoDem group in the National Assembly, affirmed upon his exit that ” compromise “ budgetary measures were possible, particularly with the socialists on the “tax justice” and the “social justice”.

Environmentalists and communists are expected on Wednesday. Eric Coquerel (LFI) will speak with Eric Lombard on Thursday afternoon, his entourage reported to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Friday, it will be the turn of the National Rally (RN).

“We are neither pessimistic nor optimistic. We’re going to work, and we’re going to see what happens. But, at this stage, it would be very difficult to make predictions”declared Olivier Faure, asked about the possibility of an agreement on the budget. Jean-Luc Mélenchon warned him that “the “rebellious” are not committed by the non-censorship negotiated by the PS”. “The NFP was neither informed nor entered before”he said on X.

The government rules out tax increases

Eric Lombard said he was open to dialogue regarding pension reform, including the starting age of 64, provided it does not further deteriorate the financial equation of the system. But he warned that he would not align “not necessarily” on the red lines of the leader of the RN deputies, Marine Le Pen. This had obtained last minute concessions from Michel Barnier on the electricity tax in particular, without sparing it censorship.

For 2025, the government is targeting a public deficit including “between 5% and 5.5%” of GDP, after an expected level “around 6.1%” for 2024, according to Eric Lombard. This will require a budgetary effort “around 50 billion euros”less than the 60 billion that the previous government was aiming for, ” principally “ by savings.

Concerning taxation, the government wants to maintain the surcharge on the profits of large companies, expected to bring in some 8 billion euros this year, the tax on share buybacks and that on plane tickets. On the other hand, he ruled out tax increases “which would penalize the purchasing power of the middle class”thus ruling out an increase in VAT. Concerning high incomes, “we can find mechanisms that aim to ensure that people who have significant income participate in the tax effort”estimated Eric Lombard.