French PM Bayrou Warns of Debt Crisis and Global Challenges in First Major Address

François Bayrou calls for urgent fiscal reforms, revisits pension debate, and critiques geopolitical instability fueled by figures like Elon Musk.

Prime Minister François Bayrou described France's record-high national debt as a 'sword of Damocles' and called for immediate measures to reduce it, including setting a 2025 deficit target of 5.4% of GDP.
Bayrou criticized previous governments and opposition parties for decades of fiscal mismanagement, accusing them of a 'fatal tango' that led to the current financial crisis.
He announced plans to reopen discussions on the controversial 2023 pension reform, which raised the retirement age, but warned that the existing law would remain if no agreement is reached.
Addressing global instability, Bayrou condemned U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's reported annexation threats and labeled Elon Musk a symbol of a 'new world disorder' undermining global norms.
Bayrou proposed reforms to simplify bureaucracy, regulate immigration, and explore proportional representation in elections, while urging Europe to strengthen its political and defense capabilities.