Refer Report

Prime Minister Michel Barnier, who is under strong control from the French left and far right, reached out and said, “Let’s expand agenda sharing between the government and parliament.” They are trying to make a breakthrough in a situation where their base in parliament is weak and support from President Emmanuel Macron is poor.

According to a report by Le Monde on the 2nd (local time), Prime Minister Barnier proposed expanding the sharing of agendas between the government and parliament in his first parliamentary speech the day before to explain his policy plans, and said, “I welcome bipartisan legislation for the good of the country.”

Prime Minister Barnier emphasized overcoming the fiscal deficit as a top priority, and also brought up ‘exceptional taxes’ for the wealthy and an increase in corporate tax, which is different from President Macron’s policy. In addition, he said, “The ‘sword of Damocles’ (meaning that the fate of the powerful is as dangerous as being under the sword) is a huge debt,” and “if we are not careful, it will push our country to the edge of a cliff.” It also proposed a goal of lowering the fiscal deficit, currently at 6% of gross domestic product (GDP), to 5% by next year and to 3%, the upper limit of the European Union (EU), by 2029.

A policy of raising the immigration threshold was also announced. Prime Minister Barnier said he would consider extending the detention period so that deportation orders for illegal immigrants can be more thoroughly enforced. They also argued that the scale of visa issuance should be limited depending on the country’s ability to provide consulate services to illegal immigrants expelled from France.

The speech on this day was an important stage for Prime Minister Barnier, an ‘orthodox right wing’ who took office without securing a majority in parliament. The left-wing party announced a vote of no confidence in the cabinet immediately after Prime Minister Barnier was appointed, and the far-right National Coalition (RN) is also rebelling against him.

The Associated Press reported, “In his speech that day, Prime Minister Barnier avoided mentioning details that could incite division and used soft language to avoid ‘political minefields.’” Although left-wing party lawmakers booed him during his speech, Prime Minister Barnier avoided conflict by saying, “I will listen to and respect all lawmakers, even if the respect is not always mutual.”

Prime Minister Barnier sent a conciliatory message to Congress, but it is unclear how far his policy plans will be realized. Prime Minister Barnier must submit next year’s budget, which contains detailed plans, to the National Assembly by the 9th. It is predicted that it will not be easy for the new budget bill to pass through the National Assembly due to strong resistance from the left and far right.

Source: Korean