Budget Referendum Proposal by Mr Bayrou Sparks Cautious Response from Political Spectrum
In a defiant move that's stirring up the French political arena, Prime Minister François Bayrou has floated the idea of a referendum on a sweeping fiscal plan, aiming to slash 40 billion euros off next year's budget. But this bold proposal has met with a healthy dose of skepticism across the political spectrum.
"When reforms are in the hands of the usual methods, smothered by force, the result? The nation comes to a standstill, the protests escalate," the prime minister wrote in Le Journal du Dimanche.
Laurent Wauquiez, head of the Les Républicains deputies (part of the government coalition), wasn't impressed. "We have a prime minister who's wavering, merely postponing decisions and not heading towards concrete actions," he declared on France 3.
Manuel Bompard, national coordinator of La France Insoumise (LFI), dismissed the idea as "ridiculous." "What question are you going to ask people? Are you going to submit a budget project and ask if they’re for or against it? But then, who drafted this budget project – Mr. Bayrou himself?" he questioned on LCI.
Eric Coquerel, an LFI deputy and the president of the National Assembly's finance commission, took it a step further on Twitter. "Technically absurd and politically questionable," he stated. "The executive can no longer dodge the national representation."
But Aurore Bergé, minister in charge of gender equality and a member of the presidential party Renaissance, saw potential in the proposal: "It wouldn't necessarily be a way to circumvent Parliament," she commented on RTL and M6.
Socialist support for the proposal seems tentative at best. Olivier Faure, their first secretary, labeled it "quite far-fetched" and proposed a referendum on pensions instead. "I fear that it's a smoke screen and that it would be very difficult to vote yes or no on a budget project that encompasses everything from defense to education," he argued on BFM-TV.
Indeed, the prerogative of asking the French public for their opinion via a referendum lies with the President of the Republic – a fact Bayrou likely knows well. The proposed referendum, if it materializes, would mark the first time in the Fifth Republic that citizens have been consulted on budgetary questions. The last time the French were consulted on a major vote was in 2005, when they rejected the treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe in a referendum. However, the treaty, known as the Lisbon Treaty, was eventually approved by the European Council in 2007.
In this complex political chess game, only time will tell whether Bayrou’s gambit will pay off – or whether the French public might revolt once again.
- Laurent Wauquiez, a member of the government coalition, has expressed skepticism towards Prime Minister François Bayrou's proposal for a referendum on the fiscal plan, stating that Bayrou is "wavering" and not taking concrete actions.
- Manuel Bompard, from La France Insoumise, has dismissed the referendum idea as "ridiculous," questioning the validity of asking for public opinion on a budget project that might be drafted by the prime minister himself.
- Eric Coquerel, an LFI deputy, has criticized the proposal as "technically absurd and politically questionable," claiming that the executive cannot avoid the national representation.
- Aurore Bergé, a member of the presidential party Renaissance, has seen potential in the proposal, suggesting that it might not be a way to circumvent Parliament. Meanwhile, Olivier Faure, the Socialist first secretary, has proposed a referendum on pensions instead, expressing concerns about voting on a comprehensive budget that encompasses various sectors like defense and education.
