As the assizes of public finances approach, Monday, June 19, the mayors are taking the lead: “We have already largely done our part” in terms of deficit and debt reduction, said the vice-president of the Association of Mayors of France (AMF) during a press conference on Tuesday 13 June. “More than 60 billion euros have been taken [sur les finances des collectivités locales] the last ten years”, recalls André Laignel. And, he said, “neither on the debt nor on the deficit the communities are in question. When we are told to split the effort 50-50, we say it makes no sense”.
With a debt of 3,000 billion euros (112% of gross domestic product) and a public deficit of 4.7% of GDP, France must clean up its public finances. This is the whole issue of the assizes which will open on June 19. The first savings measures could be announced.
At this stage, it is not certain that the AMF will participate. The debt of local authorities represents ” less than 10 % “ that of the country, recalled Mr. Laignel. “And we pay for it; it’s not the state that does ithe specified. It therefore costs him nothing and it is a minor. » As for the deficit, municipalities, departments and regions cannot finance their operating expenses by borrowing. “We are not weighing on the state deficitinsisted the vice-president of the AMF. On the contrary, we are helping to reduce it by 4.8 billion euros. »
The showdown between the State and local authorities over the financial health of the latter and the part they should take in restoring the country’s finances is not new. This is one of the few points in the speech delivered by the Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion, Christophe Béchu, at the Assises des Petites Villes de France (APVF), on 1er June in Millau, which provoked a hostile reaction from the room. A good cash flow proves that local elected officials are “very good managers”had noted Christophe Bouillon, president of the APVF. “It’s that there are still margins”corrected Mr. Béchu, provoking the indignation of the room.
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Besides, is there that much left of “margins” ? No, according to André Laignel, who supported his warning of new data on the health of local communities. Established on the basis of official statistics, the preliminary assessment of the Observatory of local finances and public management shows that “we are rather on the back”affirmed the representative of the AMF.
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