Overview
- France 5’s C dans l’air revealed an April 6, 2024 letter in which Bruno Le Maire warned of collapsing tax receipts and urged a corrective budget with about €15 billion in savings to cap the 2024 deficit at 4.9% of GDP.
- The proposed measures were not adopted and the 2024 public deficit was later reported at roughly 5.8% of GDP, exceeding official forecasts.
- Le Maire acknowledged major errors on revenue forecasts, saying “we got receipts wrong, big time,” while arguing he had pressed for action at the time.
- Government spokesperson Maud Brégeon said the 2025 deficit objective of 5.4% of GDP is on track and cited earlier spending freezes, calling for focus on ongoing consolidation.
- Current economy minister Roland Lescure said he had not previously seen the letter, as LFI’s Éric Coquerel and RN’s Marine Le Pen accused the executive of omission and organized lies.