French Prime Minister Fillon announces priorities for next months
French Prime Minister François Fillon gave his “policy declaration” in front of the National Assembly yesterday afternoon. This is a classical exercise in the French system: at the beginning of their mandate, French Prime Ministers have to expose their plans to the national representation and explain the main policy directions.
Few highlights on major issues and themes:
- institutional modernization: the main theme here is the strenghtening of French parliement’s powers, traditionnally weak in the system elaborated under De Gaulle’s back to 1958. Parliementary control over governmental decision as well as on nominations should be reinforced. Defining how to get there will be brainstormed about in the framework of a “commission of the wise” which should be composed of experts and former political officials.
- a real push for higher education reform: this is the weak point of the French education system. More funds should be devoted to Research (goal is to spend 3% of the GDP on this, which is the European average). University reform should be top priority: more autonomy, more financial means, higher “productivity”
- deficits and debt: the aim is to take the level of public debt back to 60% of the GDP in 2012. This will mean cuts in public expenses and notably sharp cuts in civil service
- “flexsecurity”: using the “Nordic model” as a reference, the Prime Minister made clear the reflexion on how to make the French labor system more flexible without necessarily creating more uncertainties for the employees would be pursued and eventually implemented. Ideas such as a unique and single work contract, reform of unemployement compensation current system, as well as a reform of minimum wage should be top priorities.