French government to copy-paste budget that led to predecessor’s downfall – POLITICO

However, a path forward remains elusive.

Bayrou lacks majority support in parliament and remains vulnerable to being ousted if opposition parties join forces against him like they did with Barnier.

For the government to survive the winter, Lombard and his deputy in charge of the budget, Amélie de Montchalin, have reached out to opposition parties to explore avenues for compromise — or at least secure an agreement to avoid bringing down both the government and the budget in exchange for concessions.

The pair will look to meet with all parties represented in parliament before Jan. 14, when Bayrou delivers his first policy speech before parliament.

However, by rolling over Barnier’s old budget, lawmakers will be limited to amending the current legislation rather than introducing entire new articles, thus limiting room for negotiations.

“They can tweak [the budget], but they can’t change it in depth … I don’t really see how they’re going to put forward [legislation] less likely to lead to a vote of no confidence,” the left-wing head of the parliament’s finance committee Eric Coquerel told POLITICO.

There are also concerns that the government may not be able to enact Barnier’s planned one-off windfall tax on big companies and wealthy individuals, as it would mean enacting a law in 2025 to tax revenue generated in 2024. The former premier had touted the move as a way to help reduce the budget deficit without placing too big a burden on majority of French taxpayers.