“Twelve proposals that can be initiated from the 2025 finance law”: the Court of Auditors, which has been sounding the alarm on public finances for months, has decided to get involved by regularly publishing notes proposing precise and quantified savings avenues.
The first was presented Thursday by the First President of the Court, Pierre Moscovici. Its recommendations would make it possible to free up 2.7 billion euros this year in reduced spending and increased revenue, and even more in 2027.
Titled “Exceptional aid measures: a way out of the crisis for the state budget”she notes that many measures to support the economy taken during Covid and the inflationary crisis continue, “while the crises which justify them have generally been resolved”.
“It is unthinkable to maintain recourse to whatever the cost which only worsens the situation of public finances”noted the First President, observing that public spending has increased “by three points of GDP compared to pre-crisis”at 57%.
The Court therefore lists a series of measures which, according to Mr. Moscovici “do not touch any red lines”.
For example, reserve aid for hiring apprentices at levels 3 and 4 (secondary) and exclude companies with more than 250 employees: 745 million euros saved in 2025.
Or, lower the eligibility ceiling for vehicles for the ecological bonus to 1.925 tonnes (200 million euros), return to the kilometer tax scale in force in 2021 (530 million euros), return to the previous ceiling for the eco-friendly credit tax for childcare costs outside the home (200 million).
The Court also suggests canceling the uncommitted appropriations of a fund and an initiative intended to support culture, for 194 million in total.
The note, which was originally an order from former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, prefigures others, which this time will be on initiative: “so that, quite simply, the government and Parliament can take it up within the framework of the discussion of the PLF and in anticipation of subsequent financial texts”I waited for M. Moscovici.
“Lookout”
The former minister, in socialist governments, and former European Commissioner in charge of Economic Affairs, often has harsh words towards governments, regularly guilty in his eyes of being too optimistic in their forecasts and not enough firm in reducing deficits.
He insisted on Thursday on the need to include in the 2025 budget a public deficit which remains below 5.5% of GDP, after 6.1% in 2024 – the one prepared under Michel Barnier predicted 5% – to stay on track of a return below 3% in 2029, as promised in Brussels.
“In 2025, we will be the watchdog that recalls the facts, raises the issues, raises the challenges and proposes reforms”he assured.
These will be designed not to “handicap growth, weaken the quality of public service or weaken the social model”.
Mr. Moscovici established the publication of these notes as ” method “announcing “a salvo of expenditure reviews of this type” in 2025, “short, very operational, not a bunch of text, to offer intelligent spending savings in all areas”.
The Court, whose stated mission is to “ensure the proper use of public money, (and) inform citizens”publishes each year dozens of extremely precise and in-depth reports, but often quite forbidding.
The note published on Thursday, on the contrary, peppered with mentions in dapper green and synthetic boxes, seems much more manageable.
The next one, between now and spring, will review health insurance spending.
“The demand to reduce the deficit has turned into an emergency”observed Mr. Moscovici. The Court of Auditors therefore wants “contribute even more directly to the debate on public finances”. Et “she hasn’t finished putting them back in order”he warned.
