The French government has unveiled another austerity budget aimed at reducing its enormous public deficit while promising to protect ordinary citizens from the consequences. France faces mounting debt, rising borrowing costs and pressure to bring government spending under control. Ministers insist that carefully targeted savings and structural reforms will restore financial stability without unnecessarily hurting households. An ambitious undertaking, rather like promising to drain a swimming pool without removing any water.
The government speaks enthusiastically about efficiency, modernisation and fiscal responsibility, three expressions that usually mean someone is about to receive less money while being congratulated on the improvement.
Every ministry must find savings, although naturally every ministry also considers its own spending absolutely essential. The result is a magnificent bureaucratic treasure hunt in which officials search desperately for unnecessary expenses, preferably in someone else's department. Meanwhile, citizens are assured that public services will remain protected, taxes will remain reasonable and sacrifices will be distributed fairly. France apparently intends to perform economic surgery without touching the patient.
The deficit, unfortunately, has shown little interest in political promises. But Paris remains confident that enough committees, consultations and beautifully formatted spreadsheets can eventually persuade several billion euros to disappear out of sheer administrative exhaustion.