Attal prepares backup plan for possible French debt crisis
French politician Gabriel Attal says he is drawing up a contingency plan in case the country's debt situation worsens sharply in the near term, citing pension reform and spending cuts as key options.
French politician Gabriel Attal met on Wednesday with several economists, including Xavier Jaravel, Natacha Valla and Olivier Blanchard, to discuss the risk of a debt crisis. Following the meeting, he announced he is preparing a "backup plan" in case the situation deteriorates very quickly.
Without revealing his full savings plan, Attal outlined several main directions: a reform of the pension system, tighter spending on the social sector, and a reduction in public administration staff through the use of artificial intelligence. He also said he would soon unveil a broader overhaul of how public authorities are organized, aiming to cut one layer from France's administrative structure.
Asked by POLITICO about the 2026 budget bill, the former budget minister declined to go into detail, noting that the government would present the full text in early October.
Position on the EU budget
Attal also spoke out against reducing France's contribution to the European Union budget, saying such a move would not satisfy him. He did, however, leave open the possibility that fines paid by major tech companies could eventually be redistributed to EU member states.
The source article's headline also attributes to Attal the claim that 150 billion euros in savings would only be "a baseline" — a starting point for a broader austerity policy.
