Bruno Le Maire publishes manifesto for France's future

Former French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has released a sixty-page manifesto titled ‘Manifesto for another France’ to spark debate ahead of the 2027 presidential election. While Le Maire has not explicitly confirmed a candidacy, the document outlines a political roadmap centered on three pillars: authority, prosperity, and sovereignty.

Regarding authority, Le Maire argues the State should limit its scope to territorial security, personal protection, education, and health, delegating other responsibilities. To ensure prosperity, he advocates for a departure from the idea of working less for more pay, citing rising national debt as a consequence of past policy choices. He warns of a potential global sovereign debt crisis and proposes urgent measures such as de-indexing pensions, social benefits, and income tax scales.

On the issue of sovereignty, Le Maire proposes a new European vision consisting of a federation of six nation-states—France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, and the Netherlands. This entity would manage a limited number of shared public policies to increase Europe's political weight against powers like China and the United States. His long-term economic proposals include a constitutional rule for fiscal responsibility and raising the legal retirement age to 65.