Overview

• An Elabe poll reveals 83% of French citizens favor referendums on key issues like public spending, pensions, and immigration.
• Prime Minister François Bayrou's proposal aims to bypass parliamentary gridlock by directly consulting citizens on economic and social policies.
• Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau estimates referendum costs between €100–200 million, depending on whether it is digital or paper-based.
• Retailleau also stated that logistical and administrative challenges make a referendum unlikely before the summer.
• President Emmanuel Macron, who holds the constitutional authority to call referendums, is expected to clarify his stance and timeline during a TF1 broadcast.