Roland Lescure is France's finance minister under Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. A former financier who spent nearly a decade working in Canada before standing for election in France in 2017 as part of Emmanuel Macron's original centrist project.
Mr Lescure has overseen the drafting of the 2026 budget, which includes around €30bn in savings—less than his predecessor had pledged—including a freezing of pensions and benefits in 2026 and cuts to overseas aid, sport, forestry and other departments. He has pencilled in a budget deficit of 4.7% of GDP for 2026, after 5.4% in 2025, with France pledging to the EU to reach 3% by 2029. Most economists think the 2026 figure will slip closer to 5%.
He is firmly against a Zucman tax—the Socialist proposal for a minimum 2% levy on individuals' assets worth over €100m—insisting the budget "will not be a socialist budget" despite needing Socialist votes to pass it in the fragmented lower house.
Argues that European defence for 80 years has rested on the American umbrella, and that "at least most of" Europe's defence should now be made in Europe. He favours the EU spending more on European industry rather than buying American weapons.
Anybody that wants the presidency so much that he'll spend two years organising and campaigning for it is not to be trusted with the office.