The Minister of Economy, Bruno Le Maire, pleaded on Tuesday for “confidence in the French economy”, subject but to the evolution of the Middle East, and confirmed the ways to generate new billion euros of savings in the budget.
“French companies are like homes: very self-confident, very challenging for the French nation,” he told the press during the presentation of the annual barometer of the ARC company, showing a renewed optimism of businessmen for their own activity but a concern about a possible slowdown in the French economy.
Bruno Le Maire indicated that he will dedicate “two or three meetings per week” to discussing energy prices for 2024 with EDF, and hopes to “reach an agreement in the coming days or weeks.” “We work in good harmony,” he assured.
Regarding his growth scenarios for 2023 and 2024 (1% and then 1.4%), he declared himself “lucid”, although he acknowledged “that we will have to review the entire text if the conflict in the Middle East spreads.” For Bruno Le Maire, we must “support all efforts to avoid escalation”, including those of Emmanuel Macron, who travels to Israel on Tuesday.
No concessions on debt reduction
While the committee examination of the 2024 budget expenditures began this week in the National Assembly, Bruno Le Maire, who wants to be “intractable in debt reduction”, indicated that he had found the billion euros of savings he wanted add to the sixteen billion already provided for in the initial text.
The Government will support the majority amendments on the creation of a remainder to be paid into the personal training account (CPF), a measure planned and then withdrawn last year, and the “freezing” of the amount of the exemption from business contributions family members on salaries between 2.5 and 3.5 SMIC.
The minister confirmed the Government’s willingness to double the exemption on medicines, which arises from the Social Security budget currently being debated in the Assembly. “A franchise (of 50 cents per box) created in 2008 and increasing to one euro sixteen years later is not repugnant, it is responsible,” estimated Bruno Le Maire, confirming that it will remain limited to 50 euros per year.
Source: BFM TV
