Posted on 10/10/2026 10:34:11 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
France’s public debt has climbed to a record during the two terms of President Emmanuel Macron, unsettling investors and emerging as a defining issue ahead of next year’s presidential election.
With France already gripped by deep social tensions, the candidates vying to succeed Macron are under pressure to explain how they would bring the debt under control. It now stands at 119% of gross domestic product, leaving the country’s strained public finances likely to dominate the campaign.
France again won’t come close to balancing its annual state budget next year, despite a proposed 54 billion euros ($61 billion) in spending cuts. The government said Thursday that the budget will again overshoot EU spending limits and that the national debt is expected to grow to nearly 122% of of GDP, a new record.
Budget minister David Amiel argued that the spending cuts were essential, ahead of what is sure to be a bruising battle to get them through parliament.
“We cannot sweep the dust under the carpet,” he said.
One idea to fix the debt has been particularly scrutinized. The radical-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon has proposed canceling French government bonds held by the European Central Bank to unlock money for public spending, claiming it would free up funds for investment. Others on the right argue that Melenchon’s proposal is unrealistic, with far-right leader Marine Le Pen calling for reforms to “clean up” public finances.
(Excerpt) Read more at fortune.com ...
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So, keep the current regime? They are screwed from so many angles these days. Just keep the fries coming....
What? They no longer trust reprobate ‘Jupiter Macron’ to save them? Yes his term ends in 2027 and they’ll be sure to find him a soft place to land.
Meanwhile they’ll soon be dredging up another round of court-ordered psychiatric/psychological evaluations for Marine Le Pen.
Stop providing welfare for immigrants and the budget deficit disappears.
Fk France
Hit the Eifle Tower Mohammed!
Take their land away from them.
They can do it the Argentina way—stop paying interest and delay repayment of principal for a couple of decades.
It is a technical default of course—but after the moratorium period is over they have survived to borrow another day.
That’s a lower debt to gdp than US. Nobody escapes these compounding levels of debt.
France went into Third world status as soon as they tried to cover up that Muslims set fire to Notre Dame. They’re now just positioning deck chairs
Ours will be 126% of GDP by the end of the year!
“Celebrate Diversity!”
One idea to fix the debt has been particularly scrutinized. The radical-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon has proposed canceling French government bonds held by the European Central Bank to unlock money for public spending, claiming it would free up funds for investment
The truth is that tough times are the cure.
We have witnessed the bankruptcy of a major world power in our lifetime. What happened?
Yep, classic case of noticing the speck in your neighbors eye and ignoring the plank in your own...so sayeth the Gospel, with a twist of course.
I’ve got an idea to help the French debt problem… SEND MORE EUROS TO UKRAINE.
Totally different because…. reasons!
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