French PM pledges major reform to cut public administration costs

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has announced plans for a sweeping reform of the country’s public administration aimed at reducing state costs and tackling national debt.

Speaking before the National Assembly, Lecornu said the government intended to carry out one of the most significant overhauls of state structures in recent decades, with a review of each institution’s areas of responsibility, Caliber.Az reports via French media. 

The prime minister emphasised the urgency of addressing France’s fiscal challenges, noting that the government must reduce public debt and bring the budget deficit below 5 percent by next year. He described the current budget as a transitional one that could not resolve all issues immediately but signaled his commitment to considering the concerns of opposition parties.

Lecornu added that 2026 should not become “another lost year” for France, and underscored the need for inclusive governance, saying that a country of France’s size could not be run solely in the interests of one political group.

Before his address, Lecornu held discussions with members of the centrist bloc and left-wing parties in an effort to build consensus around the reform plan.

Reactions from across the political spectrum highlighted the divisions over the government’s fiscal approach. Philippe Juven, a member of the National Assembly from the right-wing Republicans party, said France had been living on borrowed money for too long and needed to cut its debt in order to secure its economic independence. He stressed that, despite political differences, lawmakers shared a responsibility to prepare a sustainable national budget.

Meanwhile, Eric Coquerel of the left-wing La France Insoumise party criticised the proposed spending cuts, calling them anti-social and warning that they would harm ordinary citizens.

By Sabina Mammadli