Bloomberg Surveillance · Friday, September 18, 2026
French Finance Minister Roland Le Maire reaffirms that the 3% deficit target by 2029 is not a number to be discarded, as it is crucial for stabilizing debt. He emphasizes that while candidates will set future fiscal policies, his current focus is on preparing the ground for the next administration.
“No, I mean, we shouldn't throw out the anchor of 3%. As you know, there's a presidential election taking place next year. And I think the candidates and then the elected president are going to have to tell us how they go about it.”
“This is not my job. I want to make sure that the next few months we're going to clean the taking off strip so that the planes can take off from May on once the new president is in charge. So we're doing our share of the work. I think we're doing it in a reasonable, serious, credible way. And then, yes, the candidates are going to have to explain the markets, as well as the French people, what they're going to do about public finance going forward. But 3% is not a magic number. 3% is the number that stabilizes debt. So it is a target we should all have in mind.”