Carole Delga this Thursday, January 23, from Toulouse. – Occitanie Region/Sofiane BENSIZERARA
Purchasing power of families, health, employment, decarbonization, citizen action: the priorities of the President of the Region Carole Delga for a year subject to budgetary constraints
A traditional ceremony of wishes to the press coupled with a reminder and a detail of the priorities and projects of the regional authority for 2025, despite budgetary constraints and a national political context that is not exactly stable.
This is the exercise that Carole Delga undertook this Thursday, from Toulouse. Without forgetting to mention the international panorama, also shaken up by the resounding return of Donald Trump in the diplomatic concert. About which the President of the Region affirmed to pay “particular attention with regard to the wine and agri-food sectors”.
What effort is required of the Regions ?
A reference to customs duties that could be revised upwards, a subject for which she hopes “a political response from the European Union. At the level of trade policy as for the European defense”, she hoped.
Before returning to Occitanie and looking ahead to 2025,“a year that will be marked by an extremely delicate budgetary context, with an effort required from the Regions” to participate in the effort made in favor of the fight against the drift of public deficits.
Mandatory savings
Which could be less significant than initially planned by the first draft finance bill drawn up by the Barnier government, but sufficiently substantial for savings avenues, already revealed during the budget orientation debate, to remain under consideration: merger of regional agencies, reduction of subsidies to associations by at least 5%, or revision of the Region's action in favor of rail and road infrastructure (abandoning the experiment on the management of national roads, or postponing the acquisition of rolling stock).
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000What are the avenues for additional revenues ?
And the President of the Region also announced that discussions on possible additional revenues were being considered, as she was able to talk about, under her hat as President of the Regions of France, with the Prime Minister on Wednesday, or with Éric Lombard, the Minister of the Economy, the day before. That electric vehicles are no longer exempt from registration documents (on which regional councils set and collect a tax) is one of them. The creation of a mobility payment for the Regions is another, which seemed a given, but this new tax provokes the ire of the employers.
Here again, verdict expected at the time of the adoption of the 2025 budget.
Five priorities for 2025
It is in this global landscape that Carole Delga recalled this Thursday having set “a clear course for 2025”. With priority given “to the purchasing power of families, to health, to employment, to decarbonization […], and to popular and civic action”.
And to ensure “maintain our aid, with the cheapest return to school, free use of trains and coaches for 12-26 year olds, or trains at €1 for all employees”.
Confirmations
While remaining “very vigilant about the situation of businesses, farmers and winegrowers to support them as best as possible and protect employment in our territory”.
Also confirmed by Carole Delga “the launching of the first offshore wind turbines in Port-la Nouvelle (planned for this summer, Editor's note), the reopening of the Montréjeau-Luchon railway line, the construction of the Occitanie hydrogen technocampus, the recruitment of the 100th doctor by the Region, or the opening of a new high school in Auterive.”
Candidate in Toulouse in 2026 ? “I'm thinking”
All that remained was to open a political chapter. And to the one who still advocates for a socialist party “of government”, who is part of “a reformist left, universality, European, committed to socialist justice”, and who claims not to be “adept of degrowth”, was asked “the” question about his possible candidacy for mayor of Toulouse in 2026.
And to answer, all smiles: “The priority is France and Occitanie, I devote myself to it. Requests are addressed to me, from citizens or business leaders who encourage me to run in Toulouse. So, I think about it.”
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