Paris (AFP)
Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti welcomed on Friday the announcement of a "historic" 8% increase in his ministry's budget for 2021, presented by Prime Minister Jean Castex as a solution to "the increase in violence ".
"This budget is a historic budget, France has not had a budget of this nature for its justice for more than twenty-five years", reacted the Minister of Justice, guest of RTL, who very often, in his previous lawyer function, denounced the lack of means in the sector.
Mr. Dupond-Moretti estimates that this increase should allow the hiring of 2,450 staff by the end of 2021 and unlock the immediate employment of "950 staff who will come into play from the beginning of next year".
Prime Minister Jean Castex announced this budget adjustment on Thursday evening, supposed to render justice "faster".
He spoke to elected officials and citizens in "You have the floor", his first major political program since his arrival in Matignon in July.
"We need an efficient police force. But it seems to me that the quality of the speed of the penal response depends a large part of the solution" in the face of "the progression of violence", specified the head of government.
In 2020, the justice budget was 7.5 billion euros, up 4% compared to 2019. It should reach 8.2 billion euros for 2021.
The announcement of this budget increase comes against a backdrop of strong tensions between Eric Dupond-Moretti and the magistrates, who mobilized Thursday across France to denounce the opening of an administrative investigation against three of their colleagues from the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) and the statements deemed "contemptuous" of their minister.
© 2020 AFP