---
title: "French budget deficit for 2025 will not be 'much' above 5% -minister"
description: "France's budget minister confirms 2025 deficit will be \"slightly above 5%.\" Finance Minister had previously indicated similar targets for the delayed budget bill. Prime Minister Bayrou prioritizes deficit reduction amid significant political opposition. The 2024 deficit is projected to exceed 6% of GDP."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-01-06-french-budget-deficit-for-2025-will-not-be-much-above-5-minister/"
published: "2025-01-06T05:40:49"
updated: "2025-01-06T05:41:11"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 170
---

# French budget deficit for 2025 will not be 'much' above 5% -minister

> French budget deficit for 2025 will not be 'much' above 5% -minister

By Reuters · Published 6 January 2025, 07:40 SAST · Updated 6 January 2025, 07:41 SAST

## Key points
- France's budget minister insists the country's 2025 deficit will barely breach 5%, a goal as slippery as a French croissant, while Prime Minister Bayrou grapples with the Herculean task of trimming public spending amidst a political landscape more divided than a baguette at a picnic.
- France's budget minister confirms 2025 deficit will be "slightly above 5%."
- Finance Minister had previously indicated similar targets for the delayed budget bill.
- Prime Minister Bayrou prioritizes deficit reduction amid significant political opposition.
- The 2024 deficit is projected to exceed 6% of GDP.

## Content

• France's budget minister confirms 2025 deficit will remain "slightly above 5%."

- Finance Minister previously indicated similar targets for the delayed budget bill.
- Prime Minister Bayrou prioritises deficit reduction amid political opposition.

France's budget deficit for 2025 "will not be much above 5%," the country's budget minister Amelie de Montchalin reaffirmed in an interview published on Sunday with Le Parisien paper.

Last month, French Finance Minister Eric Lombard had also said France's delayed 2025 budget bill would target a [deficit of "slightly above 5%".](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N3NU03Q&linkedFromStory=true)

Reducing France's deficit, which has consistently been above limits set by the European Union, has been earmarked as a priority for Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, as it was for his predecessor Michel [Barnier, who was ousted in December](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N3N507X&linkedFromStory=true).

However, Bayrou - similar to Barnier - faces challenges over finding ways to cut public spending amid opposition from both far-right and far-left political parties.

France's 2024 deficit is expected to stand at above 6% of gross domestic product (GDP).

(Reporting by Gilles Guillaume;Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)