The Republicans (LR) deputies will launch a commission of inquiry concerning the “strong growth in debt” under “the presidency of Emmanuel Macron”, in a context of strong tension between the executive and parliamentarians on the subject of situation of public finances, parliamentary sources told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The president of the LR group, Olivier Marleix, mentioned it on Tuesday at the conference of presidents of the Assembly. The group will make use of its annual drawing right, which allows it to obtain the de facto creation of this commission, explained an LR source.

More specifically, the Republicans intend to launch a parliamentary investigation into “the reasons for the very strong growth in French debt under the presidency of Emmanuel Macron and its consequences on the purchasing power of the French”.

France’s public deficit reached 5.5% of GDP in 2023 according to INSEE, or 15.8 billion euros more than expected. The government, however, maintains its objective of reducing the public deficit below 3% of GDP by 2027. Ten billion euros in savings have already been made for 2024, and 20 billion euros in cuts are announced for 2025.

The deterioration of public finances and the solutions to be found are the subject of a political standoff between the executive and parliamentarians, including within the majority, divided over the dogma prohibiting touching taxes, in particular on great fortunes.

Gabriel Attal announced to Renaissance deputies on Tuesday the launch of a mission responsible for making proposals “on the taxation of annuities between now and June”.

Threat of a motion of censure

Until now, the government has operated by decree, without resorting to an amending budget which would involve going back to Parliament. But this resurrects the threat of a motion of censure which, if carried or supported by the right, would have the greatest chance of being adopted.

Accusing the government of having “deceived the national representation and the confidence of the French” by presenting a budget last fall struck by “insincerity”, the president of the Republicans, Eric Ciotti, wrote on Friday to Gabriel Attal to demand the go through a amending budget.

Unlike previous years, LR now willingly lets the threat of a motion of censure from the government regarding a budgetary text hang: “It’s a hypothesis that is on the table, very clearly,” said Eric Ciotti. Tuesday morning, the La France insoumise group for its part announced that it would table a spontaneous motion of censure if the government did not return to Parliament through an amended budget.