The Senate visits Bercy to understand the causes of the “unprecedented depravity” – Liberation

In terms of budgetary control for parliamentarians, it is almost a nuclear weapon. Deprived – unlike the deputies – of the right to overthrow the government through a motion of censure, the General Rapporteur of the Finance Committee, Senator LR Jean-François Husson, is this Thursday, March 21 in the offices of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. To achieve that “Documents and check on site”.

In a press release sent to the press at noon, the elected representative of Muerthe-et-Moselle “Unprecedented Degradation” The public deficit for 2023 was announced this morning in several media, and was confirmed by the Minister of Public Accounts, Thomas Cazeneuve, on France Info: “Instead estimated at 5.6% of GDP from the expected 4.9%“, Remembers Hussain.

So the parliamentarian specifically intends to come out of the ministry occupied by Bruno Le Maire (Economy and Finance). “All notes and documents produced by Bersi Services and explaining this deterioration” And “Many Questions Answered” : “Since when has this degeneracy been known? What is the exact extent? What are the factors (lower income, increased expenses)? What will be the impact on the recovery path planned by the public finance programming law until 2027, which at first glance appears to be completely in question, given that France has the highest public deficit in the euro zone, in this scenario? Finance Committee gives details in its press release. The latter also complains “A clear lack of information available to Parliament” and condemns a “Contempt from the government (…), after canceling 10 billion euros of credit, by simple decree”.

“The Senate must therefore intervene to understand how it is possible to reach a level of deficit which, if confirmed at 5.6%, would never have been reached under the Fifth Republic, outside of recession and crisis.”, The commission continues, which “Desires (…) to understand how (the government) could make a mistake of about 20 billion euros on its budgetary path”. At the end of his visit, Jean-Francois Husson has planned a press conference at 5 pm in the Senate.

With this parliamentary onslaught, the right-wing intends to bite the government’s calf, alleging serious budgetary slippage. In an interview with the echo Published on Wednesday March 20, party boss Eric Ciotti urged the government and its censors “Disaster Management” Public finance. A specific location to carry out the threat is yet to be found. In the fall, when examining the budget for 2025? Or this summer, during a vote on a possible reform finance bill? While the government has cut state spending by ten billion in 2024 by decree, the PLFR may be forced to be introduced in parliament if the deficit is revised. A risky episode, the majority only concerned the Palais-Bourbon. Asked this Thursday in Brussels about this possibility, the head of state did not respond. For its part, the CIOT is skeptical of the government’s idea of ​​censorship: “We will reject all measures that do not mark a real recovery in the public financial situation.”

Until then, the LR executive keeps his finger on the trigger. In the Assembly, the group is considering using its annual drawing rights to demand a parliamentary commission to investigate the debt. A political (and media) tool for demanding accountability from majority leaders. And why not the Prime Minister in person, who passes through Bersi (on public accounts) between May 2022 and July 2023?

Updated at 3:45 pm with reference.