France: Attal Promises 'Biggest Institutional Reform Since 1958' if Elected

Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, now a presidential candidate, has promised to implement "the biggest institutional reform since 1958" should he win the presidency. Attal outlined his ambitious plans, which span decentralization, justice reform, and immigration policy, in an interview published in the Journal du dimanche.

"I want to submit to the French people, after the election, the biggest institutional reform since 1958," Attal stated. He intends to propose "a new territorial organization to de-Parisianize France and make the mayor the most powerful elected official" in the autumn. Attal also aims to enshrine "a principle of speed" in the Constitution, mandating a maximum two-month deadline for administrative responses to project proposals, with silence implying approval.

To combat project delays, the candidate for the Renaissance party seeks to limit the accumulation of administrative appeals to a maximum of eighteen months. Attal also plans to reform the appointment process for strategic administrative positions, stating, "The elected President must appoint... officials with the political mandate to implement the political project for which he was elected." He believes this constitutional change will help "restore trust" in the executive branch.

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I want to submit to the French people, after the election, the biggest institutional reform since 1958.

Attal's reform agenda includes a significant reduction in the number of parliamentarians, proposing to decrease the National Assembly from 577 deputies to 350 and the Senate from 348 to 200. He argues this will lead to greater "efficiency" and save "several hundred million euros" annually. Furthermore, he wishes for a referendum to be held "every year" on a dedicated day, featuring "multiple-choice questions on subjects previously discussed and worked on with political forces and social partners."

The former prime minister also envisions a "profound" reform of the judicial system, reiterates his support for "limiting quotas" on immigration, and plans a voluntary departure program for 100,000 civil servants with a severance bonus. Regarding pensions, he reaffirmed his desire to abolish the equal retirement age and implement a universal system with a capitalization component. Attal proposed a "runoff vote" if he were to be neck-and-neck with Édouard Philippe in the polls in early 2027, an idea not yet adopted by Philippe.

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The elected President must appoint... officials with the political mandate to implement the political project for which he was elected.