French PM Lecornu orders ministers to revise 'unrealistic' €30bn budget requests for 2027

The scale of the requests

Budget conferences ahead of the 2027 finance bill revealed more than €30 billion in funding requests from ministries, with €24 billion earmarked for new spending. The demands would create over 23,000 jobs for the state and its operators as early as next year, rising to approximately 40,000 over the 2027–2029 period.

In the context of preparing the 2027 finance bill, budget conferences revealed more than 30 billion euros in funding requests, including 24 billion for new spending.

The prime minister's response

In a letter titled 'Framework letter for the preparation of the 2027 finance bill', sent to ministers mid-week and obtained by Les Echos, Lecornu described the requests as 'clearly not prioritised' and 'unrealistic'. He added that they 'disregard the urgency of restoring public finances', which he called 'a determining element of our sovereignty, especially in the current geopolitical and macroeconomic context'.

I therefore ask you to take back control of the requests made by your administrations and correct them. Your discussions with the Minister of Public Action and Accounts will make it possible to identify real political priorities, but also productivity gains and transformations.

Fiscal constraints

The government has promised to table a budget without tax increases. Lecornu stressed the need for seriousness, underlining his message with handwritten exclamation marks and double-underlined words on the letter, according to Les Echos. The letter launched a three-week cycle of bilateral discussions between Public Accounts Minister David Amiel and his colleagues.

Next steps

The government is due to present the broad outlines of the 2027 budget in mid-July. Before that, a public finance alert committee is scheduled for late June, which could be the occasion to announce new budget cuts. The war in the Middle East continues to weigh on the economic situation, adding pressure to the fiscal consolidation effort.

Lecornu told ministers he would make his final arbitrations based on the revised work they submit. 'We must be serious,' he insisted, adding 'I am counting on you.'