Overview
- Lawmakers discovered the payment in budget texts, and senior MPs used it to needle the government during ongoing 2026 finance debates.
- The €1.1 billion covers principal originally scheduled for 2033–2041 from bilateral loans extended by France during the 2010 crisis.
- The inflow helps keep France’s 2025 public deficit in line with forecasts after two years of slippage.
- Greece also prepaid €1.14 billion in 2023 and €1.7 billion in 2024, and still owes roughly €5.6 billion to France through 2041.
- Bercy targets a 4.7% of GDP deficit in 2026, though ministers caution the shortfall could come in closer to 5%.