Prognose: „Es gibt nichts mehr zu kürzen“: Frankreichs Regierung erwartet weniger Wachstum und höheres Defizit
Finanzminister Lescure kappt die Wachstumsprognose. Die Verabschiedung eines Haushalts dürfte zum Kraftakt werden, denn die Positionen im Parlament sind ohnehin schon verhärtet.
The French government has lowered its economic and budgetary targets for the current year, expecting reduced growth and a higher deficit. Finance Minister Roland Lescure announced on Friday that the Gross Domestic Product growth forecast has been reduced from 0.7 to 0.5 percent. He stated that the goal of pressing the budget deficit to 5.0 percent of GDP is "no longer an option."
The reasons cited include the economic consequences of the war in the Middle East, as well as heatwaves and droughts during the summer that affected agriculture. Lescure emphasized that "the economic uncertainty was perhaps the greatest it has ever been today." He added, "Our budgetary margins are exhausted; there is nothing more to cut."
The lowered forecast complicates the adoption of the 2027 budget in a deeply divided Parliament where positions have hardened ahead of the presidential elections next spring. In the midst of economic slowdowns, left-wing politician Jean-Luc Melenchon called for a reduction in state debts, a proposal that received sharp criticism.
Bank chief Emmanuel Moulin described the debt reduction plan as "illegal, dangerous, and useless." Moulin told radio station RTL, "We have always met our debt obligations since 1797, and that would be a default." He further explained that such a step would circumvent agreements, leading to increased inflation and rising interest rates.
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