François Hollande calls for a "thorough revision" of Bayrou's budget proposal to avoid censure from the Socialist Party

In unison with the rest of the Socialist Party , former President François Hollande strongly criticized this Thursday, July 17, the guidelines presented by François Bayrou for the 2026 budget, but left the door open to discussions. "If the government wants to avoid the risk of censure, it must thoroughly revise this budget. It must move and seek compromises," said the former head of state in an interview with Le Monde , two days after François Bayrou's shock announcements of a 43.8 billion euro savings plan.

To ensure that the Socialists abstain from voting for the fall of the head of government, the Corrèze MP lists four conditions: "an increase in taxation on high net worth individuals, whether it be the principle of the Zucman tax or the reestablishment of a modernised wealth tax" . He then calls for "a reversal of certain aid to businesses and in particular the exemptions from social security contributions which represent more than 70 billion euros compared to 35 billion at the end of my five-year term" .

The socialist also calls for "protecting the incomes of the weakest, that is to say small pensions and family benefits" as well as "preserving aid to local authorities to support the country's equipment" .

Already opposed - but a minority within his group - to the latest censure filed by the socialists on pensions , the former president would prefer that we do not come to the fall of the Bayrou government. According to him, without a budget, France "will enter a double instability, financial because the markets will be cruel, and political with the specter of a new dissolution. Who really has an interest in this disorder?" . But "the spirit of responsibility does not fall exclusively to the opposition. It is first up to the executive to demonstrate it," judges François Hollande.

The Prime Minister's office is walking a tightrope trying to get his budgetary austerity plan adopted and avoid censure in the fall, but the government wants to believe there is room for negotiation, particularly on the Socialist side. The National Rally, which "saved" Bayrou during the pensions motion, has this time announced its intention to censure him.