French elections: What Macron plans to do if his party wins a majority
France's prime minister Gabriel Attal laid out the policy goals of President Emmanuel Macron's centrist party Renaissance on Thursday. Here are some of the key proposals.
On Thursday, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal gave a press conference outlining the Renaissance party's platform ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections - on June 30th and July 7th.
"From June 30th, everything is at stake," Attal said, before going over the group's policy goals, several of which had already been discussed previously.
Later in the day, the representatives from the major political parties were set to present their economic programmes to Medef, the largest employer federation in France.
READ MORE: Explained: The party manifestos for France's snap elections
Here are some of the key policies that Attal outlined on Thursday;
Electricity bills - The PM promised a 15 percent reduction in French electricity bills this winter, which he said would take place thanks to a reform of the European electricity market.
Housing - On housing, Attal reiterated the plan to abolish notary (notaire) fees (in reality a kind of tax on home purchases) for first-time home buyers (for properties up to €250,000). The PM said this would "boost the purchasing power of the middle classes by €15,000."
Work and employment - The PM discussed plans to raise the 'Macron bonus' - an opt-in system that allows employers to pay their staff a bonus that is exempt from income tax and social contributions. Attal said his party would seek to raise the bonus from the current max of €6,000 to €10,000.
He also discussed the left-wing coalition's proposal to raise the minimum wage to €1,600, which he claimed would "destroy 500,000 jobs in France". Instead, the PM advocated for a reduction in charges (social security deductions) for those on low salaries.
Attal also advocated for developing a four-day work week in "companies where people cannot work from home".
No increase in taxes - The prime minister defended previous tax cuts enacted since the start of President Emmanuel Macron's first term in 2017. He argued that the opposing parties would increase taxes, and promised that the presidential coalition would not do so.
Environment and energy transition - Attal reiterated plans to create 14 new nuclear reactors and increase the accessibility of electric vehicles.
Supporting Europe and international commitments - Attal insisted that France remain "a strong voice on the international scene" and said they would double the military budget by 2030.
Security - The prime minster insisted on the importance of being "uncompromising" on secularism, while also discussing plans to increase the number of police officers, via 8,500 new recruitments and to limit access to screens for young children (which has already been discussed, particularly after recommendations were published by a commission of experts).
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On Thursday, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal gave a press conference outlining the Renaissance party's platform ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections - on June 30th and July 7th.
"From June 30th, everything is at stake," Attal said, before going over the group's policy goals, several of which had already been discussed previously.
Later in the day, the representatives from the major political parties were set to present their economic programmes to Medef, the largest employer federation in France.
READ MORE: Explained: The party manifestos for France's snap elections
Here are some of the key policies that Attal outlined on Thursday;
Electricity bills - The PM promised a 15 percent reduction in French electricity bills this winter, which he said would take place thanks to a reform of the European electricity market.
Housing - On housing, Attal reiterated the plan to abolish notary (notaire) fees (in reality a kind of tax on home purchases) for first-time home buyers (for properties up to €250,000). The PM said this would "boost the purchasing power of the middle classes by €15,000."
Work and employment - The PM discussed plans to raise the 'Macron bonus' - an opt-in system that allows employers to pay their staff a bonus that is exempt from income tax and social contributions. Attal said his party would seek to raise the bonus from the current max of €6,000 to €10,000.
He also discussed the left-wing coalition's proposal to raise the minimum wage to €1,600, which he claimed would "destroy 500,000 jobs in France". Instead, the PM advocated for a reduction in charges (social security deductions) for those on low salaries.
Attal also advocated for developing a four-day work week in "companies where people cannot work from home".
No increase in taxes - The prime minister defended previous tax cuts enacted since the start of President Emmanuel Macron's first term in 2017. He argued that the opposing parties would increase taxes, and promised that the presidential coalition would not do so.
Environment and energy transition - Attal reiterated plans to create 14 new nuclear reactors and increase the accessibility of electric vehicles.
Supporting Europe and international commitments - Attal insisted that France remain "a strong voice on the international scene" and said they would double the military budget by 2030.
Security - The prime minster insisted on the importance of being "uncompromising" on secularism, while also discussing plans to increase the number of police officers, via 8,500 new recruitments and to limit access to screens for young children (which has already been discussed, particularly after recommendations were published by a commission of experts).
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