After the Socialists, it is the turn of the Greens to present their proposals for the country. While the Socialist Party is putting forward a “counter-budget,” the Greens presented their “crisis exit” plan to the press this morning.
The presentation of this text was brought forward; it was supposed to take place in October, following the publication of an “observatory of ecological setbacks.” But François Bayrou’s press conference on August 25, “lunar,” according to Marine Tondelier, and the prospect of his censure, disrupted the Greens’ agenda.
“Emmanuel Macron is the captain and the crew has been Macronist for eight years.”
So this Thursday, in their new offices in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, Marine Tondelier, the party’s national secretary, accompanied by Eva Sas, Member of Parliament for Paris, Thomas Dossus, Senator for the Rhône region, and Aïssa Ghalmi, Deputy National Secretary for the Project, presented their proposals to address the current situation. “This is not a renunciation of the New Popular Front (NFP) program,” warned the leader of the Greens. “Our program is that of the NFP, but the balances that need to be struck and the current crises force us to adapt our proposals.”
On this observation, the Greens share the concerns of the rest of the political parties. Marine Tondelier warns of a “very high” debt. For her, this is the result of Emmanuel Macron’s policies: “To use the metaphor of the ship, Emmanuel Macron is the captain and the crew has been Macronist for eight years,” she asserted. The Hénin-Beaumont representative also denounces the “explosion” of inequality and the “trampling” of the “democratic pact between the State and the French people.”
“We want to stabilize the debt without disrupting economic activity.”
The main elements of the “crisis exit plan” are as follows: a deficit of 3.7% of GDP in 2030, with a step towards 5.2% in 2026, or €11.7 billion. As a reminder, in 2024, the deficit was €168.6 billion, and François Bayrou’s plan for 2026 calls for it to reach 4.6% of GDP. For that year, the Greens are counting on an increase of €28.5 billion in tax revenue and a reduction of €16.6 billion in spending. “We want to stabilize the debt without disrupting economic activity,” explains Eva Sas, “so we propose an investment effort in public services, the ecological transition, and defense.”
National Secretary of the Ecologists Marine Tondelier / (©) Apaydin Alain/ABACA
“The priority is to regain fiscal room for maneuver.”
In terms of revenue, the Greens favor the Zucman tax. This measure, devised by French economist Gabriel Zucman, establishes a 2% tax on the assets of French people with assets exceeding €100 billion. According to his calculations, it should generate between €15 and €25 billion per year. A Green bill to introduce it was adopted earlier this year by the National Assembly, but was rejected by the senators. Earlier this week, François Bayrou rejected the principle, deeming it “unconstitutional.” However, for the left, it is essential: the Socialist Party is also proposing its implementation in its “counter-budget.” “The priority is to regain fiscal leeway, because the debt stems from tax cuts,” analyzes Eva Sas.
Other levers for increasing revenue include the implementation of a “climate wealth tax,” as proposed by economists Jean Pisani-Ferry and Selma Mahfouz in their 2023 report; maintaining the exceptional contribution on large companies; increasing aviation taxes; and reforming the Dutreil Pact. This mechanism exempts a portion of inheritance tax when transferring a business.
