568 justice the gendarmerie and the police

Told the Freewheel, Dominique de Villepin calls into dancer. Here it clearly decided to restart after the contract crisis first engagement (CPE), is attacking the public service. The Prime Minister intends to remove 15,000 positions in the State next year. It is apparent with the 2007 budget ceilings letters on the evening of yesterday by Matignon in the half of key Government Ministers.

Marking the beginning of the fiscal year, caps letters notify each the maximum evolution of his credits in the next act of Finances, and jobs, and more or less, which they will have. Last year, in the wake of the referendum lost on the European Constitution, Dominique de Villepin had been, on this sensitive issue of the decline of the public workforce, a timidity that had deeply disappointed in the majority. It did reduce to 5.100 the number of staff in the 2006 budget, less than in 2005 and 2004. This time, the Prime Minister committed a reduction in the number of agents of the State unprecedented.

"More protected area"

At this level, it was possible that in addressing the educational personnel, and this is the risk that takes the head of the Government. National Education will lose, the next year, 8.700 employees (in full-time equivalents): part of the already unloaded of course but also teachers of trainee teachers (3). Once again, the Ministry of finance is sacrificed for the example, with 3,000 officers less.

Especially, hitherto spared as defence ministries will cease to be regarded as shrines. Matignon has imposed to Michèle Alliot-Marie "loss" of 4,400 officers. A tour de force.

"It is more sector protect", says MP Hervé Mariton, spokesman for the UMP on budgetary issues. It is the price to pay to create some 4,000 positions in priority areas: Research (1.568), justice, the gendarmerie and the police. "We did not wanted to pass the departments to the plane, but redeploy where there are needs", explains Matignon, where it provides relied "largely" on the audits of the State led by Bercy 100. For their part, civil servants unions have castigated "purely accounting vision" of the Prime Minister.

A strong political signal

The 15,000 deleted posts in 2007 would be between 500 and 600 million euros in savings, of which half will be returned to the ministries concerned. Measurement therefore little loosen the grip of the next budget, forced on one side by a rule of bronze on the evolution of the expenditure (1 point less than inflation, which gives that margin EUR 2.3 billion) and, on the other, by tax commitments such as the decline in the income tax, which will cost EUR 6 billion. Claiming to want to further reduce the deficit of the State, the Government draft a draft budget in which priorities will be limited in scope and number: employment although a good part of the effort in this area will be extra-budgétaire , research, justice, and the gendarmerie and the police (with credits rose by 3.8).

Announcing 15,000 civil servants less next year, Dominique de Villepin sends especially a political signal, that it retains, according to a close, "any capacity initiative and daring". An easing of relations with the majority is no stranger.

However, the magnitude of the gesture is to put into perspective. Because the effort asked officials remains low reduced to some retirement departures expected year 84.000 next in the State civil service. In 2007, less than a starting five will not be replaced. It is the objective of the beginning of the legislature that was to replace only a start in public service. And during this time, local authorities continue to create public jobs.