Prime Minister Michel Barnier convened his ministers for a seminar at Matignon on November 4, 2024. This meeting aimed to generate proposals to be implemented over the course of three years by the end of the year. The government members arrived at Matignon before 9 am for a morning of work. Despite the looming threat of a vote of no confidence in December, Barnier is focused on looking towards the future beyond the 2025 budget preparation. The new motto at Matignon is “Five-year vision, action in three years,” in reference to France’s budgetary goals for 2029 and the upcoming 2027 presidential election.
Following a first seminar in September to prepare his general policy statement, Michel Barnier is aiming to produce concrete proposals in response to the priorities of the French people through a series of seminars. The topics discussed during the seminar included state-local communities, work-social benefits, immigration-integration, overseas territories, and simplification. Each topic had a designated minister overseeing it, with the objective being to define one or two priority measures to be implemented. The seminar also included discussions on current events such as European issues and reports from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
The lack of unity within the government has been evident in disagreements over budgetary issues and legislation in the National Assembly. The government has faced defeats on fiscal matters, with the most recent example being the rejection of the restructuring of employer contributions by members of the majority, right-wing, and far-right parties. The objective of the seminar is to promote teamwork and unity among government officials, despite the existing disagreements. The focus is on making decisions collaboratively and listening to different perspectives before taking action.
The seminar also aims to ensure team spirit and mutual decision-making within the government, despite urgent circumstances. The idea is to define common ground to mobilize support among government officials and address parliamentary debates and decisions. There is a recognition that having differing opinions does not necessarily equate to being an opponent, and that alignment is not a prerequisite for cooperation among government members. The upcoming debates in the National Assembly on budget matters are expected to result in rejections, which would force the government to resort to Article 49.3 to pass its budgetary texts.
The debates in the National Assembly on budget matters are likely to result in rejections, with thousands of amendments still to be discussed. If a red light is given, the entire text would be sent to the Senate in its original form. The government may have to resort to Article 49.3 to pass its budgetary texts, as the left and the far-right have already expressed their intention to vote against them. Despite the challenges and disagreements within the government, Barnier is determined to lead his team towards a common goal and a shared vision for the future of France. The seminars and discussions at Matignon are aimed at fostering collaboration and ensuring that the government can move forward in implementing its proposals effectively.
