FRANCE: RN Leader Outlines More Red Lines After PM's Budget Concession

In a statement on social media, far-right Rassemblement National (RN) leader Jordan Bardella hails the U-turn from the gov't of PM Michel Barnier on the removal of electricity tax caps from the budget, and claims that his party has "won a victory" but will seek further concessions from the gov't before it withdraws the threat of supporting a censure motion. 

• Bardella: "...we cannot stop there. Other red lines remain. The Prime Minister must also abandon the additional reimbursement of medicines, [...] there must be a moratorium on any new creation or increase in taxes and duties, strong measures in favour of the competitiveness of [small businesses], and the reindexation of pensions from 1 January. A serious crackdown on migration and criminal law must be undertaken, [...]. These common sense measures are realistic, quickly applicable and expected by an immense majority of French people. The Prime Minister cannot remain deaf to them. He has a few days left."
• Bardella's listing of a swathe of other objectives marks another risk to the Barnier gov't. Having forced the gov't to give in on the electricity tax caps, the RN could run rampant through the remainder of the budget in order to gain the party's approval. This in turn could see the EU's previous approval of the budget plan as 'credible' altered if spending reductions are scrapped en masse.