"The blank year is a solution": for Renaud Muselier, the Regions will have to make savings

Even though Renaud Muselier readily expressed his feelings about the "risk" of certain towns in the region falling into the hands of the RN or LFI, – citing in particular Toulon "where the succession of the outgoing mayor has not been prepared" – the informal exchange between the president of the South Region and a panel of journalists invited by his teams to the stand of the community, a leading partner of the event, mainly revolved around the question of the future budget of France and, incidentally, that of the Regions.

"The comments made by Barnier, Bercy and Le Maire, who tell us that the country's deficit is due to local authorities, are false," began the elected official, who clearly prefers the current government's approach to the issue.

"The discussion here is not the same, we are being asked to make an effort," emphasizes the president, for whom the message conveyed, with pedagogy, by François Bayrou is "The welfare state is over. Is this message understood? Or some say they will get through it, but we can no longer get through it today."

The Regions finance 15% of the investment

Although he expects the Regions to be asked again to make savings, Renaud Muselier admits to being "at an impasse" regarding the choice of budgets to be reduced.

"Last year I lost 120 million euros, but I didn't close high schools, nor cut trains or transport. We decided to remain present where we are on the front line and to withdraw where we are in the third or fourth line. For example, we cut culture by 10%. And the rule is, where the State withdraws, we withdraw too."

And to recall that the Regions represent 15% of investments across France and 1% of the country's deficit.

"The blank year is a solution, we're taking it," says the president of the South Region regarding the 2026 budget. In the meantime, the elected official is pleased to have implemented the Mobility Payment in his region, which will bring in 30 million euros to his community through a tax on companies with more than 11 employees.

"In the previous bill, the Regions had asked to be able to levy this tax, as the Paris Region already does. And now that we have this possibility, some say they don't want to do it. I did it. And those who didn't do it will have a hard time demanding help to save their small railway lines."