2026 Budget: "We will censor if François Bayrou maintains his unfair measures," warns Yoann Gillet, RN MP for Gard

On the occasion of the last Council of Ministers before the executive's recess, Wednesday, July 30, Alexandre Peyrout welcomes Yoann Gillet, MP for Gard and spokesperson for the National Rally, in "La Matinale", whose vote of a motion of censure at the start of the school year could topple François Bayrou's government.

This text is a transcript of part of the interview above. Click on the video to watch the full interview.

Alexandre Peyrout: In a few hours, the last Council of Ministers meeting before the holidays will take place. Should these ministers expect to resign at the start of the school year?

Yoann Gillet: Listen, we've been very clear. We will censure the government if there are tax increases, if there are still efforts demanded of the French people while the State itself is not tightening its belt. What we have been saying, with Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, for weeks, even months, is that the State must tighten its belt. Today, there are savings to be made by structurally reforming the State with these government agencies that cost a lot, 80 billion euros in total, even though a certain number are not effective. These are savings to be made also in terms of immigration. Moreover, the French want it. Today, immigration costs us a lot of money and we are able, from 2026, to make 18 billion euros of savings on this subject. But also on France's contribution to the European Union, since France continues to give ever more to the European Union. There are billions of euros to be saved there. So, before attacking the French again, workers, and retirees, we say to the government, to François Bayrou, that we must first tighten our belts.

Except that what you're talking about are cuts in healthcare in particular, this blank year that will automatically increase taxes for some French people. Why hide behind your little finger, because it's on the agenda? Are you going to censor, yes or no?

We will censor if François Bayrou maintains his unfair measures.

Are you planning to try to force him to give in, François Bayrou?

We censured Michel Barnier in December 2024 to protect the French people. We thus succeeded in reindexing retirement pensions on the flexion, in stopping the increase in the price of electricity. So we intend to use censure to protect the French people. But if François Bayrou backs down and comes to his senses, then we will be able to work seriously. What we want is to make structural reforms. I also remind you that in the budget presented by François Bayrou, there are only 2 billion euros out of nearly 44 billion euros in real savings on the state's standard of living. This is not acceptable. The state must tighten its belt before asking the French people to make an effort.

Why not have censored it earlier? François Bayrou has been in power for eight months. Haven't you had time to see that, ultimately, this policy doesn't satisfy you?

But censorship is a strong act. And we, in the National Rally, censor the government when it comes to protecting the French people.

There was no material until now?

There were no direct measures. Today, we want to censure the government if it maintains its budgetary course. But yesterday, the censures presented by the left made neither head nor tail. Because you censure a Prime Minister, you censure a government, and the next day you find yourself with a new Macronist Prime Minister. So, we must tell the truth.

Do you think it will be different if you censor in October?

We will protect the French people and prevent them from having to endure ever more of a government that comes to steal their money.

Customs duties and this agreement between the European Union and the United States are unlikely to help matters. François Bayrou talks about the submission of the European Union. Do you agree with this observation? Obviously, but it still makes me laugh to hear François Bayrou say today what the National Rally has been saying for several years and systematically reaffirms. Today, France is totally submissive to the European Union and the European Union is totally submissive to the American market. That's a reality. And when it's the National Rally that says it, it's a lie. Clearly, today, the entire political class agrees with Marine Le Pen.

Except that in 2016, Marine Le Pen said that Donald Trump's election was an opportunity for France. Was she wrong?