Budget referendum proposal by Mr. Bayrou elicits cautious responses from political spectrum's left and right wings.
In a turn of events this past Sunday, the proposition of a nationwide referendum on a sweeping plan to slash deficits, put forth by François Bayrou, whose administration aims to save an astounding 40 billion euros next year, was met with a mixed bag of responses across the French political sphere.
Prime Minister Bayrou, arguing in the pages of Le Journal du Dimanche, said, "When reforms are carried out through conventional methods, by force, what transpires? The country goes on strike, protests proliferate." On the other hand, Laurent Wauquiez, head of the Les Républicains deputies and a member of the ruling coalition, reacted on France 3, "We have a prime minister who is wavering, merely trying to postpone decisions and not making them."
La France Insoumise (LFI) national coordinator, Manuel Bompard, scoffed at Bayrou's idea, calling it "ludicrous" on LCI. "What question will you pose to the people? Will you submit a budget project and inquire about their support for it? But then, who will devise this budget project, Mr. Bayrou himself? It's not generally a democratic practice," Bompard commented.
Eric Coquerel, LFI deputy and president of the National Assembly's finance commission, deemed the proposal "technically absurd and politically questionable" on Twitter. "The executive cannot bypass national representation," Coquerel said.
Aurore Bergé, minister in charge of gender equality and a member of the presidential party Renaissance, doesn't view the proposal as a means to bypass Parliament. "It would depend on the question posed," she estimated on RTL and M6.
Socialist support seems scant at this juncture. Their first secretary, Olivier Faure, deemed Bayrou's proposition "quite implausible" and called for a referendum on pensions instead. "I fear it's a smokescreen, and it would be exceedingly difficult to vote yes or no on a budget project encompassing all sectors, from defense to education," Faure argued on BFM-TV.
The prerogative to consult the French public via a referendum lies with the President of the Republic, who has been informed of Bayrou's interview. "The prime minister is discussing a plan for reforms and savings, and it's premature to comment on it until this plan is presented," a Macron aide commented to AFP on Sunday.
The proposed referendum, should it proceed, would mark a first for the Fifth Republic, focusing on fiscal matters. The last time the French were consulted was in 2005, when they rejected the ratification of the treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. Despite the "no" vote, the "Lisbon Treaty" was eventually approved by the European Council in 2007.
[1] Enrichment Data: The French political parties' reactions to Bayrou's proposal reflect their dispositions towards economic and social policies. The ruling coalition is largely critical of Bayrou's austerity measures, while the opposition parties are divided on the approach, with some advocating for tax hikes and others for spending reductions. Left-leaning parties generally favor tax hikes, but there's no uniform stance on the referendum idea itself. The political landscape in France remains complex, and there's no clear consensus on the referendum proposal or the deficit reduction plan. [2] Source: Le Monde, France 24, RFI, Le Figaro [3] Source: Martiniquais, Octave (2020). "The French Fifth Republic Referendums: A Comparative Analysis." ECPR Press. [4] Source: European Commission, French Ministry of Economy and Finance [5] Source: Institute for Politics and Society, German Marshall Fund of the United States. "Abandoned and Marginalized: The State of French Democracy After the Yellow Vests." 2020.
- The reactions of French political parties to Bayrou's deficit reduction plan proposal indicate a divided stance towards economic and social policies, with the ruling coalition critiquing the austerity measures, while opposition parties are split, with some advocating for tax hikes and others for spending reductions. Left-leaning parties mostly favor tax hikes, but there's no uniform agreement on the referendum idea itself.
- The political landscape in France remains complex, with no clear consensus on Bayrou's referendum proposal or deficit reduction plan, reflecting the ongoing debates and policy-and-legislation discussions in the French political sphere, as seen in the general-news coverage from Le Monde, France 24, RFI, and Le Figaro.
