The French finance minister, Antoine Armand says that the government won't accept ultimatums from Marine Le penn over a new budget law, even as the far right leader gave her strongest indications yet that she will topple the administration as soon as this week. Of course, her party in parliament has the largest number of seats. Altoine Armand has been speaking to Bloomberg's Caroline Cunnel in Paris.
Let us be very clear, Francis is on the right track. France's economy has got very solid arguments and it needs to be repeated. First of all, as you know, we expect a growth of one point one persons in twenteen thirty four. It will be above the Eurozone average. Second, we have an inflation under the two percent, which is now stable. And third of all needs to be said, we have an unemployment which is at its lowest in forty years in French, in France, so we have a
strong economy. We have solid arguments, and last but not least, we have a clear perspective. Our government, Michelle Barnie's government has a clear commitment to reduce the deficit. It will be done. It needs to be done.
It needs to be done, but it's getting very difficult this week because obviously your government faces a possible motion of no confidence and could collapse as soon as this week. Michelle Banie, the Prime Minister, has already made some concessions, including on prices of electricity. What other concessions are you ready to make? Are you ready to tell us today in order for Marine nupen from the national reality to abstain from a vote of no confidence.
You're right to remind that my Prime Minister, Michelle Bannie, is a man of dialogue and compromise and this government in the last week has clearly demonstrated its willingness to ensure that Friends could have a budget through evolution in the budget. And let me remind also that the parliamentary debate is still ongoing and we have to wait until
the end of this debate. But as you said, Friends, as a critical time, we have the arguments, we have the fundamentals, we have a perspective to reduce public spending and to cut boring, which is very important for Friends, but for Europe as well. So let's say, let's remind the political leaders in France that we have a common responsibility and that this common responsibility includes voting, adopting passing a budget.
Does that mean there's going to be more compromise, more concessions before Monday night, which is the deadline that my Inupien has given you.
As I said, the French government doesn't take multim atoms. It's looking at the French parliamentary debate. It's respecting every each and every parliamentary debate that leads to an evolution. We will take into account what is changing, but we won't be blackmailed. We are committed to reduce the deficit.
I understand you're willing to perhaps compromise, but mine open has some speed. The seafly concessions she wants from the government, including that all pensions be indexed on infation as soon as January, and she also wants the government to give up this plan to abandon some drug reinforcement on these two specific topics. Is there any way to have more concessions from the government.
Let's just not just focus on the for assemble mon nacional because as you know, but it's key, it's key, but it's not enough. And as you say, for a vote of confidence to be adopted at the French parliament, you would need to have the Socialist Party, the left parties to vote with the far right parties. So it would not only be the responsibility of Marine Lupezz party, it would also be the responsibility of French socialists, French ecologists, people who are willing to oppose to Marine Lupin to
vote together. It would be a very bad signal politically an economically for these countries, for our country, and for these parties who are saying and claiming that they could say government parties.
Does that mean you're trying to negotiate with the Socialist Party, not the National Valuy.
We are not focused on with whom we negotiate or not. As I said, the government is a government of dialogue, of respect of co construction. This budget, this budget has been co constructed. It's not the result of just a government project. It's evolving within the days and the weeks of the parliamentary debate will still be open. But not to blackmail.
You're not open to blackmail. But the thing that my independent wants really is for the government to respect That's what she says, to respect the electorate of the National Valuy. Are you willing to say that the concessions you've already made, for example, are thanks to the National valuy and that you respect her electorate.
We respect every each and every MP, and we respect each and every people in France, whatever they decided to vote or not to vote, of course, but what's my responsibility as a finance minister is to commit to the five percent target that we decided to have at the beginning of our mandates, not only for friends or for the government, because it's now needed in order that Europe
still remain a country, a continent of prosperity. That's what we aim at, and for that we need all political leader to be responsible.
With these concessions that we've seen in the budget, they're going to cost about ten billion euros.
Does that mean you can.
Actually keep this five percent deficit target or do you believe perhaps it will be slightly higher, like five point five or perhaps higher.
As I told you, our commitment to reduce the budget deficit towards five percent in twenty twenty five and towards three percent in twenty twenty nine is not an option. It is something something we are very carefully looking at. What does that mean you can actually it means that yes, it means that at every time that we made adjustments on our budget, we compensated it with saving with new measures.
It's clearly an important point to underline here. We all committed to this five percent target in twenty twenty five
So that was Fances Finance Minister Antoine Armor speaking to our own Caroline Connot in Paris