War effort: the French do not want us to use their savings

Finance the war effort, yes, but not with their savings! This is the message that emerges from the last Odoxa survey for capital. A headache in perspective for the government.

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The government is looking for Martingale! How to finance the war effort without weighing down taxes, as Emmanuel Macron promised, and without weakening our social model, as the Minister of the Economy promised on Thursday, Eric Lombard, in the Senate? The government of course wants to mobilize the private savings of the French who is increasingly substantial.

You are in fact saving 17.7% of your disposable income, according to the last measure of INSEE, in the third quarter of 2024. It is historically high, since in the years before COVID, the average was around 15.5%. An almost French exception, our European neighbors being more in the standard, with a savings rate of 15.2%. The explanation is due to the fear of the next day. “75% of French people save every month, an increase of three points in a quarter and a record for 6 years”according to the latest Odoxa Savings, Retirement and Placement barometer, for Groupama, BFM Business and Capital. In question of course, French political instability, but also and above all, for a few weeks, the Grand Bazaar International, with the trade war that has been coming out since Donald Trump has decided to erect prohibitive customs duties and conflicts, which besides Ukraine and the Middle East, are likely to multiply …

Since Europe will have to do without the American big brother to ensure its military defense, Donald Trump having decided to cut the cord, the old continent will have to act and organize. Emmanuel Macron wants to increase the defense budget by 2% of GDP currently at 3.5% within 5 years. Businesses specialize in defense will have to invest and invest in increasing their production capacity. It is to help them that the government wants to mobilize the savings of the French.

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Problem, the French refuse to get their hands on the pot! “If opinion is favorable to an increased investment in our defense, 58% of French people do not want us to use their savings for this”explains Gaël Sliman, the president of Odoxa. National Defense does not make a recipe: 38% of interviewees do not want to invest their savings in investments intended for defense. As for the others, only 28% of French people would agree to make an effort and invest their woolen stockings towards the financing of the national defense, if the proposed return was less than or equal to that of the booklet A, or 2.40% net. For the remaining 34%, they would be fine, but provided that the yield is higher.

How to federate around this idea of ​​supporting the need for funding for national defense? It is the heavy task of the government. Eric Lombard, the Minister of the Economy, told the Senate on Thursday that he did not intend to set up a new dedicated savings product, but use those that already exist. Booklet A, life insurance, retirement savings plan … The minister brings together, Thursday, March 20, investment funds, insurers and bankers to work on this sensitive issue.