Overview

• Public aid to large companies totalled €211 billion in 2023, making it France’s largest budget item ahead of education and defense.
• Senators catalogued over 2,200 aid schemes from the state, local authorities, social security and the EU, but found no administration can accurately track their combined cost.
• Despite growing aid volumes, companies continue to close sites, lay off staff and relocate operations with no enforceable counter-conditions in place.
• The commission issued 26 unanimous recommendations to establish rigorous tracking, systematic evaluation and binding conditions for future aid.
• The report arrives a week before Prime Minister François Bayrou is set to unveil a €40 billion savings plan for 2026 aimed at cutting the deficit below 3 percent of GDP by 2029.