“The French people want and need more justice,” he said, adding that his government would “work to make better use of public money.”
France is currently facing the so-called excessive deficit procedure in Brussels for spending more than it should have last year. France’s deficit (the difference between spending and imports) could reach 5.6% of GDP this year, 0.5% higher than previously forecast.
French President Emmanuel Macron last year pushed through a controversial pension reform that raised the statutory retirement age from 62 to 64 in a bid to cut public spending.
Barnier pledged Friday not to challenge the basics of pension reform, but instead to start a debate on how to improve it.
The new prime minister, a staunch conservative, has made it clear that his government will be “not only a right-wing government” but will likely include ministers from Macron’s camp. He has not ruled out having left-wing ministers.
While some left-wing voters may be pleased by his platform of “justice in taxation,” Barnier has won over voters on the other side by promising a stricter immigration policy.
