A Fiscal Pivot: Targeting a 2% Deficit
Édouard Philippe a présenté un programme de rupture axé sur l’effort et la baisse des dépenses publiques. The Horizons party leader intends to slash the nation’s public deficit from its current position above 5% of GDP to 2% within five years.
The program hinges on a 50-billion-euro trade-off: eliminating production taxes for businesses by clawing back an equal amount from public spending. Philippe, who declared in early October that “magic money does not exist,” intends to spread these cuts across regional budgets, state operations, and social welfare programs.
Philippe Proposes Cutting 250,000 Civil Servant Positions
The plan targets the state’s workforce directly, proposing the elimination of 250,000 civil servant positions. This headcount reduction would be achieved by replacing only two out of every three departing employees.
The fiscal tightening extends to healthcare, where the first three days of sick leave would become unpaid for all employees, public and private alike. To lock in this new fiscal regime, Philippe proposes a “golden rule” to be enshrined in the Constitution via referendum, which would prohibit the introduction of new taxes or regulations throughout his term.
Pension Overhaul and Social Incentives
Pensions occupy a central role in the platform unveiled on September 29. Philippe proposes raising the legal retirement age to 65 and extending the required contribution period to 45 years within a decade, up from the current 42.5 to 43 years. While the plan includes exemptions for those with disabilities or long-term career paths, it also introduces a mandatory collective capitalization scheme for all workers.
Social policy shifts toward targeted support for families, offering a 350-euro allocation for a first child—scaled by income—and interest-free loans for every birth. In education, Philippe aims to grant principals greater power over staff recruitment and uniform enforcement, backed by a pledge to raise teacher salaries by 20% over five years.
Security and Immigration Restrictions
Philippe’s platform adopts a hardline stance on immigration, aiming to cap annual residence permits well below 200,000. The proposed measures include a five-year suspension of family reunification, the implementation of strict quotas, and the freezing of birthright citizenship in Mayotte. He has also called for the repeal of the 1968 agreement with Algeria.
His justice agenda, shaped by his October 17 comments on civil unrest, includes the return of mandatory minimum sentences and the removal of the sentence implementation judge role. To combat narcotics trafficking, he advocates for the expanded use of targeted facial recognition technology.
Climate, Defense, and Executive Strategy
Addressing climate risk, Philippe committed on September 17 to a 2-billion-euro annual adaptation fund, noting that natural disasters currently cost the state 5 billion euros annually. His energy roadmap relies on the construction of eight additional EPR nuclear reactors, while his defense strategy targets a pool of 250,000 reservists by 2040.
On the international stage, he maintains support for Ukraine while voicing sharp criticism of the current Israeli government, describing the situation in Gaza as a “carnage.” Should he win, Philippe plans to dissolve the National Assembly and force his reforms through a series of ordinances in July 2027.
The Electoral Horizon
While the strategy is ambitious, the program remains thin on department-by-department savings details. Philippe also faces a steep climb in the polls; an Ifop survey published by Public Sénat on November 4 shows him trailing Jean-Luc Mélenchon in all scenarios for the second round. Whether these structural changes can gain traction with voters before the spring 2027 contest remains the defining question of his campaign.
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