On October 21, 2024, the French parliament began examining the 2025 budget, which includes demands for €5 billion in savings from local governments.

As the National Assembly reviews the budget aimed at reducing a €60 billion deficit, local leaders are expressing deep concern over the financial impact on their municipalities.

Nicolas Lacroix, president of the Haute-Marne departmental council, criticized the proposed budget cuts as 'direct, unjust, and brutal,' highlighting the struggles many departments are already facing.

He warned that over 80 departments will encounter financial difficulties in 2025, with Haute-Marne projected to lose €7.5 million due to these cuts.

Lacroix cautioned that many departments, already in precarious financial situations, may face insolvency by the end of December if the proposed cuts are enacted.

He noted that more than 20 departments are currently experiencing significant financial difficulties, predicting that over 60 may struggle to balance their budgets for 2024 and plan for 2025.

In response to the austerity measures, Lacroix is listing several state-occupied properties, including the prefecture and sub-prefectures, for sale on Leboncoin.

This sale is part of a symbolic yet practical response to the crisis, with the listings not yet visible online due to administrative processes.

Haute-Marne plans to sell its prefecture, sub-prefectures, judicial palace, and several gendarmeries to meet the financial demands imposed by the budget cuts.

Lacroix emphasized that the French people will ultimately be the primary victims of these budget cuts, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

He listed several judicial buildings and gendarmeries as potential sales targets to illustrate the severity of the financial constraints faced by local governments.

The mayor of Verdun has threatened to resign in protest, reflecting widespread discontent among local officials regarding the government's finance bill.