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Borne's Senate Hearing on French Budget Deficit
Former French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne faced questioning in the Senate regarding France's growing budget deficit. She acknowledged warnings but defended her handling of the situation.
French
France
EconomyLabour MarketFranceGovernmentFinanceFrench PoliticsBudget
SenateMinistry Of EconomyFrench Government
Elisabeth BorneBruno Le MaireJean-François HussonGabriel Attal
- What are the next steps in investigating this matter?
- The Senate will issue its conclusions on this matter shortly, followed by a parliamentary inquiry in the National Assembly. The conflicting accounts between Borne and the Senate highlight the ongoing debate around the management of the French public finances.
- What was the main topic of Elisabeth Borne's Senate hearing?
- Elisabeth Borne, former French Prime Minister, was questioned in the Senate about the 2024 budget deficit, which reached 6.1% of GDP instead of the projected 4.4%. She admitted being alerted to the critical situation in late 2023 but defended her actions in managing public finances.
- How did Senator Jean-François Husson react to Elisabeth Borne's explanations?
- Senator Jean-François Husson expressed surprise at Borne's responses, suggesting a lack of awareness matching the severity of the alert. Borne justified her actions by citing the lack of clarity on the exact deficit amount and the prioritization of the immigration bill.
- What was the content of the internal note sent to Elisabeth Borne regarding the budget?
- A note from the Ministry of Economy, sent to Borne in December 2023, highlighted the critical nature of the budget situation. Borne acknowledged receiving this "alert" but stated the uncertainty about the magnitude of the shortfall at the time prevented more immediate action.
- What justifications did Elisabeth Borne give for her actions concerning the budget deficit?
- Borne's testimony highlighted a late and unclear understanding of the budget's critical situation. The delay in a meeting with the Minister of Economy until January 2024 further emphasizes the slow response to the budgetary problems.