French sports officials staged a walkout during a speech by new Minister Marie Barsacq due to a proposed 33% budget cut for their sector shortly after the successful Paris Olympics. Finance Minister Eric Lombard recently announced intentions to save around 50 billion euros ($52 billion) from the 2025 budget to sustain economic growth, aiming for a deficit between 5.0% to 5.5% of the GDP.
Expressing concern, Marie-Amelie Le Fur, president of the French national sports agency, urged Barsacq for support, stating, We need the State, madam minister, and we need you to convey this message to the government. As Barsacq attempted to speak to the audience, including various officials and the federation president, about 30 officials exited the venue.
In a letter to Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, CNOSF president David Lappartient, a candidate for the International Olympic Committee presidential election in March, criticized the government's "incomprehensible budget trajectory." The parliamentary vote on the budget is anticipated next month, with Lombard engaging opposition parties in consultations to secure early support and avert a potential no-confidence vote similar to the one faced by the previous government in December.