€3.6 trillion debt: can the state requisition your savings?

France’s public debt has surpassed €3.6 trillion, and a proposed 2027 budget that would tap 17% of the country’s “forgotten” savings has revived fears that the state could requisition household savings held in Livret A accounts, life insurance policies and bank deposits. The article examines what the French state can legally do with these assets and which holdings fall outside such mechanisms. It matters because French households hold a large share of their wealth in these savings vehicles, so any levy would directly affect household finances and the perceived safety of regulated savings products. What to watch next is whether the 2027 budget proposal survives intact and which asset classes are ultimately excluded from the levy.