Michel Barnier’s new government roadmap: debt reduction, five major priorities and France’s place in Europe

Almost a month after his appointment, Prime Minister Michel Barnier presented his roadmap to the French National Assembly on October 1. As expected, Michel Barnier did not seek a vote of confidence from the deputies following this statement. The roadmap is based on two requirements: reducing financial and ecological debt, a method of dialogue and respect, and five major projects.

About debt, the Prime Minister intends to reduce the country’s deficit to 5% by 2025 and back below 3% by 2029. To achieve this, Michel Barnier outlines the path to follow: reduce spending by making choices, with attention to the most vulnerable; make public spending more efficient also thanks to the participation of large companies that make substantial profits and to the “exceptional contribution” of the wealthiest French people; and finally, combat tax and social fraud.

On energy, Michel Barnier called for the development of renewable energies and a major national conference on water.
In his opening remarks, the Prime Minister expressed his support for discussions on proportional representation. He also called for a renewal of social dialogue: on pensions in particular, dialogue will have to be resumed, as in his view, “certain limitations of the 2023 law can be corrected”.

Michel Barnier specified his “red lines”: there will be no calling into question the law on abortion, now protected by the Constitution, the law on marriage for all, and the law on PMA. There will be no tolerance of racism and anti-Semitism, of violence against women, of communitarianism, nor any accommodation of secularism.

Michel Barnier presented the government’s five main priorities:

1. French people’s standard of living: the country must embark on a new industrial dynamic, a “new savings account dedicated to industry” will be created, the RSA must become a springboard for integration, the minimum wage will rise by 2% from November 1, he also recommends action on housing: build, give more power to mayors in allocating social housing on their territory. The Prime Minister wants to take action on food: support the transformation of the agricultural sector, resume the bill on agricultural sovereignty, and defend French farmers in Brussels.
2. Access to quality public services: Michel Barnier said he did not want “yet another major reform” of the education system but did want to develop public services for young children. As for healthcare, the Prime Minister said he wanted to find “solutions on the ground,” particularly in the fight against medical deserts. Michel Barnier is also proposing a law on nurses and said he wants to make mental health “the great national cause of 2025.
3. Security: the Prime Minister wants to “generalize the method tested” during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, announces the creation of new gendarmerie brigades and makes the fight against drug trafficking “a priority”.
4. Immigration: the Prime Minister said he wanted to break the “ideological deadlock” with more efficient processing of asylum applications and better enforcement of obligations to leave French territory (OQTF).
5. ”Fraternity: the head of government declared that France “needs more fraternity”. He said he wanted to encourage the practice of sport, in line with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. On disability, “one of the government’s priorities will be to maintain this momentum”, he declared. He said he wanted to support families, particularly single-parent families, encourage voluntary work and community life, and promote access to culture and the enhancement of our heritage. Finally, “being fraternal means knowing how to accompany people at the end of their lives”, declared Michel Barnier, announcing that dialogue would resume on the end-of-life bill.

The Prime Minister concluded with a word on international policy, adding that “France must hold its own in Europe and continue to carry a unique voice in the world”. On Europe, Michel Barnier recalled his responsibilities in Brussels, and that “French influence does not fall from the sky, it cannot be decreed, it must be cultivated, built step by step, day after day”. He recalled that the European Union has made progress on industrial policy, technological sovereignty, economic security and the fight against unfair competition. The head of government added that there is still much to be done in Europe to accelerate the ecological transition and to invest in the digital, healthcare, space, and defense sectors.

“Let’s take care of the Republic, it’s fragile. Let’s take care of Europe, it’s necessary. Let’s take care of France and the French people. They are asking us to rise above our divisions,” concluded Michel Barnier.