WORLD WORLDWIDE EUROPE FRANCE - news journal UPDATE - (en) France, UCL AL #365 - Spotlight - 2026 Budget: The Art of Government Obscurity (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

 Endless waiting, lightning resignation, reappointment, backroom deals...

The political sequence of the past few weeks was ridiculous, but it also
served as a smokescreen for a budget of extreme social violence. Jokes
abounded about the absurdity of the government's recent events. Absurd
delays in appointing a government that ultimately resigned in less than
24 hours, on the pretext that little Retailleau was sulking in his
corner. The lightning reappointment of Lecornu, who calls himself a
"monk-soldier"... A succession of events as ridiculous as they are pathetic.

The sequence did, however, bring one interesting thing to light: a
broadening of criticism of the state beyond the usual activist circles.
Because despite these entire weeks without a stable government, society
clearly continued to function. Better still: it was almost a respite,
without any catastrophic anti-social announcements. A sign that we could
surely live very well, perhaps even better, without a government or a
president. And why not, without a state at all?

But beyond these considerations, we mustn't be naive. While it's
tempting to attribute these events to the stupidity of our leaders, in
reality, it was probably more about buying time, with a dual agenda: to
remain in power as long as possible, and to get as close as possible to
the end of the year, in order to put pressure on the National Assembly
regarding the budget vote. A tactic confirmed by Lecornu's surprise
announcement: the possible suspension of the pension reform, intended to
be a powerful bargaining chip in the negotiations.

While we can welcome what is primarily the result of a long-term social
movement that has made the issue of pensions central, we must also
remain cautious. Firstly, because we're not being told about a repeal of
the reform, but rather the possible possibility of a temporary
suspension... Admittedly, this would benefit a few hundred thousand
workers who would gain a few months of pensions, but it would still be a
pittance compared to our demands. And a pittance contingent on the
budget being passed.

And that's where the deception lies: backed by this social veneer -
which has only convinced the Socialist Party, that should be a clue -
the government is presenting us with a budget of record austerity. The
anti-social nature of the project is crystal clear and remarkably
cynical: the savings will be made at the expense of the poor, the sick,
and immigrants. Lower pensions, a freeze on social benefits, increased
legal fees-which would complicate access to labor courts-higher medical
deductibles, less comprehensive coverage for certain sick
leave-particularly for depression-and increased costs for residency
permits and naturalizations... Behind the thin veil of smoke surrounding
the suspension of pension reform, a hurricane fueled by the worst
fantasies of capitalists is brewing.

We must face the facts: the start of the academic year was just a
warm-up. Faced with the government's relentless pursuit, we must
continue to organize, mobilize, and maintain the pressure!

N. Bartosek (UCL Alsace)

https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Budget-2026-L-art-de-l-enfumage-gouvernemental
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