Work more to … produce more. This is the government slogan after the presentation, by Prime Minister François Bayrou, of the Public Finance Recovery Plan. BFM Business guest, lawyer and former advisor to Edouard Philippe, Franck Morel, shares this Leitmotif to allow the State to generate 43.8 billion euros in savings since 2026. And this, even if it recognizes that it will be “complicated” to convince parliamentarians to vote a budget with such measures.
The Head of Government has attracted anger by proposing, in particular, to suppress two vacations: Easter Monday and May 8. A measure that must bring no less than 4.2 billion euros in the State’s boxes next year. Even the mayor of Le Havre Edouard Philippe, who is an ally of François Bayrou, has issued reservations in this regard.
“The work is recharged”
However: Matignon’s tenant “correctly emphasized that it is eminently necessary to work more to win more,” Franck Morel said. “The signal is interesting. The real annual duration worked by the French is two weeks a year compared to the European average,” said the author of Work is the solutionco -written with Bertrand Martinot.
It remains to connect to the French with work, trying to be obvious to the government after the failure of the conclave in pensions.
“Our compatriots consider that it is correct or incorrect that the work is not necessarily that we improve its situation, in the short term and long term. To produce more wealth, we will have to work more. We must make a kind of restoration of a link in the work that is positive,” he continues.
One of the keys to reconnect from the link between the French and work would be to act first on employee contributions according to Franck Morel. “We finance our social model essentially through work. Work is excessively,” he said. Downloading these mandatory levies would mechanically increase the net workers’ salaries.
But at a time when the government is pressing the belt when announcing a white year freezing budgets everywhere, except in defense, how to recover the income today extracted from the contributions paid by employees? “We could transfer part of the salary contributions to VAT,” Franck Morel advised. If it is not about touching at the lowest rate to 5.5% in food and basic needs, 20% could be taken into account: “In several of our European neighbors, the rate is greater than 20%, so we have space,” he said.
Renegotiate the minimum wages of the branches
Another size site to which the government must address according to Edouard Philippe relative: the minimum wage. “Today is 60% of the average salary, it was 50% when the minimum wage was created,” he said. “The minimum wage eats all salary feet […] And avoid developments, “he deplored.
Consequence: “We have created formidable low -salary and a warned. How to remedy it? “We must do what five of our European neighbors, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, must return the negotiation of the minimum wage to the branches.”
Finally, with respect to unemployment insurance, Franck Morel is not completely convinced of François Bayrou’s proposal to reopen negotiations. “The last agreement was signed on November 14, 2024, it is quite recent,” he said.
“It should still be taken into account that during the signing of this last agreement, social partners and unions in particular acted and recorded in marble a certain number of developments that had fought in the years 2019-2020. […] So I’m not sure there is a new trading window, “said the specialist.
Source: BFM TV
