Brussels admonishes France over deficit as election nears – Europe live | France

Bernard GuettaFrench MEP from the Renaissance list, published essay entitled “France is not dead yet”.

We don’t know, but on both left and right, this breakdown has reopened the field of opportunity at a time when the presidential camp’s humiliating loss in the European elections added to the unpopularity of Emmanuel Macron, who had already ruled for two years without a parliamentary majority.

France was condemned to a terrifying impasse that would have led to new gains for the far right, but this dramatic turn of events turned the tables and forced everyone to make immediate and radical changes.

More than politics, it’s prestige, but there was probably nothing better to do and… who knows?

French politicians from across the political spectrum have spoken out after two 13-year-old boys were accused of gang-raping a 12-year-old Jewish girl.

The attack is believed to be motivated by anti-Semitism.

“Horror knows no bounds,” it says Nicole BelubeFrench Minister of Education.

“Rape, anti-Semitism: everything is disgusting in this crime committed in Courbevoie against a 12-year-old girl,” she said.

Emmanuel Macronthe French president, told government ministers that the “scourge of anti-Semitism” was threatening French schools, a source close to him told AFP.

Sean Kelly will be head of Fine Gael’s delegation to the European Parliament.

Emmanuel Macronthe French President, asked the Minister of Education of France to organize an hour in schools this week on the fight against racism and anti-Semitism, reports BFMTV.

And here is the center-right leadership of the European People’s Party in the European Parliament for the next mandate.

Here’s more from Reuters on what the far-right National Rally is doing Jordan Bardella told reporters today about his views on Ukraine:

“I want Ukraine to have available the ammunition and equipment it needs to hold the front, but my red line will not change, which is sending equipment that could have the consequences of an escalation in the east of the country. EuropeBardella said.

“So, I don’t plan to send, especially, long-range missiles or other weapons that will allow Ukraine to hit Russian territory. My position has not changed and will not change – it is about supporting Ukraine and avoiding all risks of escalation in the region. And I think the risk of escalation is, of course, real.

“I do not intend to question the commitments made by France at the international level because there is a stake in terms of trust in our European partners as well as our NATO allies,” he added.

Manfred Weber has been re-elected as the leader of the center-right group in the European Parliament

What did the European Commission conclude today?

For France, the Commission said:

The government deficit has been above 3% of GDP since 2020; it has declined from 6.6% of GDP in 2021 to 4.8% of GDP in 2022 before increasing to 5.5% in 2023. It is projected to decline to 5.3% in 2024 and 5.0% of GDP in 2025.

Also said:

Government debt decreased from 113.0% of GDP at the end of 2021 to 111.9% at the end of 2022 and further to 110.6% at the end of 2023. It is projected to rise to 112.4% and to 113.8% at the end of 2024 and 2025, respectively.

The commission also said:

According to the Commission’s forecast, budget deficits in Belgium, Estonia, France, Italy, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia are expected to exceed 3% of GDP in 2025. Deficits above the reference value are therefore estimated to be non-temporary for Belgium, Estonia, France, Italy, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia.

In contrast, government deficits in the Czech Republic, Spain, Slovenia and Finland are currently projected not to exceed the reference value in 2025 and the excess deficits are therefore assessed as temporary.

What are the EU’s deficit and debt criteria?

Here is a brief explanation from the European Commission:

The deficit criterion is met if the deficit of the consolidated state budget for the previous year (2023) and the planned deficit for the current year (2024) do not exceed 3% of GDP. If this happens, the Commission checks whether the deficit ratio has declined significantly and continuously and is approaching the reference value. It also checks whether the deficit above the reference value is exceptional and temporary and whether it remains close to the reference value.

The relevant factors must be considered by the Commission and the Council in the steps leading to the decision on the existence of an excessive deficit if i) the public debt does not exceed 60 % of GDP, or ii) if the debt exceeds 60 % % of GDP but the deficit is close 3% of GDP and the excess above it is temporary.

According to the Treaty, the debt criterion is met if the gross government debt does not exceed 60% of GDP, unless the ratio declines sufficiently and approaches the reference value at a satisfactory rate.

The far-right National Rally Jordan Bardella said today that France’s role is to enable Ukraine to secure its defense and consolidate the security architecture in the eastern Europe.

The Greens elect Eickhout and Reintke as co-chairs of the parliamentary group

The leader of the New Caledonian independence protest has been arrested

Brussels warns France about deficit as elections approach

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