Bruno Le Maire denies any “concealment” or “deception” earlier than the Senate | EUROtoday

Former Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire estimated, Thursday, November 7, that the slippage within the public deficit to six.1% of gross home product (GDP) was “the choice of the current government”denying any “concealment” Or “will to deceive” on the state of affairs of public accounts.

“When I am told that the deficit in 2024 will be at 6.1%, it is the choice of the current government. And I will provide all the evidence that we could have in 2024, with more rigorous recovery measures, a deficit around 5.5%. I therefore formally contest this figure of 6.1%”declared Bruno Le Maire. The former minister spoke earlier than the Senate Finance Committee as a part of an data mission on the drift in public funds.

According to the end-of-management finance invoice offered Wednesday to the Council of Ministers, the general public deficit will go as much as 6.1% of GDP in 2024. It was forecast at 4.4% within the finance invoice. preliminary offered within the fall of 2023, then raised to five.1% within the spring by the earlier authorities, by which Bruno Le Maire led Bercy for greater than seven years.

Revenues down

“There was no fault, no concealment, no desire to deceive. There was fundamentally a serious technical error in the evaluation of revenues for which we are paying the price”developed the previous minister, who left to show in Lausanne.

Revenues have been initially estimated at 41.5 billion euros above what they may truly be in 2024, whereas progress was revised to 1.4%, or 1.1%.

Bruno Le Maire insisted on the truth that “never, at any time, neither the cabinet, nor a fortiori the minister, say a word about the assessment of revenue”which is an train “technical”. There is “total waterproofing”he added. “The minister does not comment. The politician does not comment, and, moreover, that is perhaps a good thing, because if the politician started to get involved in the evaluation of revenues, we would cry manipulation. »

He also stressed that the previous government had spent massively to support households and businesses during successive crises, before initiating savings measures in the face of the increase in French public debt. The former minister said he even “resisted” to some 400 billion in further spending which was then demanded by parliamentarians from all sides.