French budgetary situation 'very serious': prime minister / Photo: JEFF PACHOUD - POOL/AFP
-
Vessel operator seeks witnesses after Vancouver grounding
-
Bezos grant helps Seattle nonprofit move thousands of families toward housing
-
Shrini Srivastava joins crew of Varanasi-Delhi Vande Bharat Sleeper service
-
US stocks fall before midterm Election Day as technology shares weaken
-
Nearly Half of Australian Workers Overqualified, Survey Finds
-
BLS Polymers makes strong market debut at ₹248 per share
-
RBI eases export-declaration compliance for individual service exporters
-
Petrol and diesel prices remain broadly steady across major Indian cities
-
Reliance shares remain in focus after near-12% surge
-
Derek Tierney Outlines Ten-Year Strategy for National Digital Health System
-
Coal India prepares possible $1 billion Mahanadi Coalfields listing
-
BLS Polymers shares open 65.3% above IPO price
-
Capital-markets shares rally as Motilal Oswal and Angel One lead gains
-
ITC shares rise as analysts anticipate gradual cigarette-business recovery
-
Reliance rally puts historical one-year return pattern in focus
-
The Digital Burden: Why Instant Messaging Feels Like a Full-Time Job
-
Saudi Aramco quarterly profit climbs 34.6% amid elevated oil prices
-
Korea’s Labor Share of GDP Hits Record Low Amid Semiconductor Boom
-
Australia raises benchmark rate to highest level in 18 years
-
littlefish and Halo Dot Partner to Replace Payment Terminals with SoftPOS
-
Asian stocks retreat as AI worries outweigh steep oil-price drop
-
Egypt Accelerates Construction of 341km Sinai Railway Linking Arish and Taba
-
Hamad International Airport stages emergency drills during WATAN 2026
-
Web Summit Qatar 2026 generated QR1 billion economic impact, report says
-
Qatar solar expansion opens scope for technical performance gains
-
OMP Extends UnisonIQ with Agent Library and Agent Studio: AI Agents that Produce Executable Supply Chain Plans
French budgetary situation 'very serious': prime minister
France's budgetary situation is "very serious", Prime Minister Michel Barnier told AFP on Wednesday, saying more information was needed to gauge the "precise reality" of French public finances.
France was placed on a formal procedure for violating European Union budgetary rules before Barnier became head of government earlier this month, while the Bank of France warned this week that a projected return to EU deficit rules by 2027 was "not realistic".
France's public sector deficit is projected to reach around 5.6 percent of GDP this year and go over six percent in 2025, which compares with EU rules calling for a three-percent ceiling on deficits.
Barnier, appointed by President Emmanuel Macron after protracted wrangling in the wake of an inconclusive parliamentary election, has floated possible tax rises to help stabilise finances, a measure Macron has ruled out during the seven years he has been president.
"I am discovering that the country's budgetary situation is very serious," Barnier said in a statement to AFP.
"This situation requires more than just pretty statements. It requires responsible action," he said.
The new prime minister, who has yet to appoint a cabinet, is to submit a 2025 budget to parliament next month, in what is expected to be the first major test for the incoming administration.
P.Petrenko--CPN