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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
National
Sarah Elzas

France's debt: how did we get here, and how dangerous is it?

The French Economy and Finance Ministry in Paris. © Bertrand Guay/AFP

Prime Minister François Bayrou has warned that France’s excessive debt puts it in danger, which is why he says his government’s proposed budget, which cuts into public spending and freezes pensions and other social payments, is crucial. But is the debt really such a danger? And how did France get to be so indebted?

France has not run a budget surplus in over fifty years. The last time was before the 1973 oil crisis.

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