Socialists, at the Center for the Attentions of Sébastien Lecornu to establish an agreement on the 2026 budget, regretted Wednesday after a first meeting in Matignon not having learned anything from the intentions of the Prime Minister, again waving the threat of censorship, and this from the declaration of general policy.
“For the moment, we have been hungry and we will see what he has to tell us in the coming days,” said the first secretary of the PS, Olivier Faure, after this meeting which lasted almost two hours.
Sébastien Lecornu receives his political opponents on Wednesday – with the exception of rebellious France which refused the invitation – on the eve of an important day of social mobilization.
“We did not have very clear answers,” added the owner of Marine Tondelier environmentalists, received in the early afternoon. So “either Sébastien Lecornu overturns the table, or it will be overthrown,” completed the leader of Cyrielle Chatelain deputies.
Representatives of the National Rally Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella have been received since 4:00 p.m., before the PCF at 6:00 p.m. and public square at 7:30 p.m. All openly threaten this new Prime Minister very close to Emmanuel Macron, if he does not respond to their requests.
Sébastien Lecornu, who already exchanged last week with the leaders of the “common base” of the right and the center, as well as the unions and the employers, will again receive Thursday, for lunch, the party leaders of this base, eager to better coordinate the fragile government coalition.
“Equation”
François Bayrou had obtained the leniency of the PS on the 2025 budget by opening a conclave on the pension reform, which ended in failure. Then he presented in mid-July a severe plan to recovery of public finances which made all opposition scream.
“We are expecting firm answers, that, to tell you the truth, we have not had today,” developed Marine Tondelier after her appointment where she asked for guarantees on the ecology and taxation of high heritage.
Sébastien Lecornu “cannot complete his political equation”, she said, regretting the appointment of this head of government from the right. “If Emmanuel Macron wanted a political break, he would have named us. And so either Mr. Lecornu listens and adapts, or he will be overturned ”.
These interviews take place under the pressure of the street, while the unions and the left parties promise a “dark day” on Thursday, protesting against the “brutal” budgetary measures of François Bayrou.
Sébastien Lecornu has already made gestures towards the left and opinion: withdrawal from the unpopular proposal to remove two holidays, the first trip devoted to access to care, and very symbolic abolition of the last “life” advantages granted to ex-ministers.
“We are not looking for censorship, we are not looking for dissolution, we do not seek the dismissal, we seek to be heard,” argued Olivier Faure. But if it was a question of taking up the draft budget of François Bayrou “we would censor from the (declaration) of general policy”, he warned. Sébastien Lecornu could pronounce his DPG “early October”, according to Marine Tondelier.
“Majority aspiration”
Socialists and environmentalists have cited an Ifop survey commanded by the PS showing that the French, whatever their sensitivities, acclaim the measures pushed by the PS.
Among them, the creation of a 2% tax on heritage greater than 100 million euros – the famous Zucman tax, which ignites this budgetary debate.
Sébastien Lecornu said he was ready to work on “tax justice”, but he wants to make “attention to the professional heritage” targeted by this tax.
The RN rejects the Zucman tax, without closing the door to a contributions of the wealthiest. If the breakup consists of returning to socialist sources of macronism, it is contrary to the majority aspiration of the country, “warned Marine Le Pen.
A warning to which the president of LR, Bruno Retailleau, echoes. “If tomorrow we thought that the government’s orientation had not been in conformity with the best interests of the nation (…), what would we do in government?”, He warned.
