A report by the Cour des comptes, published on Thursday, February 19th, warns that France's objective of reducing its deficit is becoming increasingly hypothetical, with the execution of the 2026 budget potentially leading to a breach of European commitments. The report, presented by interim head Carine Camby, highlights significant delays in fiscal recovery due to political circumstances. In 2025, the initial goal of a 1.1-point GDP adjustment, comprising €40 billion in savings and €20 billion in tax increases, resulted in a much smaller deficit reduction of only 0.4 points. This improvement was almost entirely driven by tax hikes, amounting to approximately €23 billion. The Cour des comptes stresses that efforts to rectify the public finances cannot be relaxed.