Minister of Finance
He was appointed on 24 February 2005, replacing Hervé Gaymard, until 18 May 2007, replaced by Jean-Louis Borloo. He focused its public policy on the need to reduce public deficit at a time where the entire country income tax collection was used to serve the debt interests. When he joined the government the level of debt of France was 66,4% of GDP. In two years he reduced the public debt by 2.7% versus GDP, the most important decrease ever seen in the recent French economic history. In addition, he restored a surplus (excluding payment of public debt interest) for the French budget.
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