France aims for €100 billion budget savings by 2030

France faces a pressing fiscal consolidation challenge, with public debt exceeding 110 % of GDP and deficits above the government's target. Policymakers say a sustained budget redress is essential to lower borrowing costs and preserve public services.

The Medef, France’s leading employers’ federation, has outlined roughly fifty measures that could cut public spending by €100 billion through 2030. The proposals focus on reducing civil‑servant costs, raising the value‑added tax, tightening pension rules and shifting tax burdens. Specific actions include freezing civil‑service salaries, raising the retirement age to 65, curbing social‑benefit growth, and lowering corporate levies for large firms. If implemented, the plan could bring the deficit down to about 4.2 % of GDP by 2027 and under 3 % by 2029, aligning with the government's fiscal objectives.