"It's the torture of a tourniquet": for local authorities, Bayrou's savings plan is not going down well

On July 15, the Prime Minister announced a €5.3 billion investment for local authorities in 2026. A highly controversial back-to-school topic.

By Ludwig Gallet

Angers (Maine-et-Loire), June 24. The figure of 5.3 billion put forward by François Bayrou is not accepted by the Senate, for which it is 3 billion too many. The AMF is also choking. AFP/Damien Meyer

Nearly a month after François Bayrou's budget announcements, local authorities, or at least their representatives, are still fuming. The reason: the $5.3 billion in new efforts requested for 2026. "Local authorities must not be touched," Philippe Laurent, vice-president of the Association of Mayors of France, reiterated on Sud Radio on August 11.

The debate is sensitive. In a submission submitted to Matignon on July 7, Senate President Gérard Larcher and the LR group member in that chamber, Mathieu Darnaud, only envisaged savings of two billion euros. They are not budging. "We don't want to negotiate like carpet merchants," warns LR Senator Jean-François Husson, Senate budget rapporteur.

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