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(L) Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis talks to President of France Emanuel Macron. Credit: Dimitris Papamitsos \/ AMNA<\/p>\n
A decade ago, few would have imagined Greece<\/a>, the country once synonymous with Europe\u2019s debt crisis<\/a>, contributing to France\u2019s fiscal stability. Yet in 2025, that is precisely what happened.<\/p>\n After two years marked by budget strain, France is finally poised to meet its deficit goals. Stronger domestic controls played a role, but a surprising development made a notable difference: Greece repaid<\/a> \u20ac1.1 billion ($1,27 billion) to France well before it was due, providing an unexpected boost to France\u2019s public finances.<\/p>\n Lawmakers discovered the news while reviewing ongoing budget discussions. \u201cWe can thank our Greek friends for helping us reduce the deficit,\u201d remarked Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Husson, budget rapporteur in the French Senate. In the National Assembly, Philippe Juvin posed a sharper question to the public accounts minister: \u201cShould we take inspiration from the Greek example?\u201d<\/p>\n From Greece\u2019s Financial Crisis to France\u2019s Fiscal Relief<\/p>\n The situation raises a striking question: could Greece\u2019s trajectory offer lessons for France? The story traces back to May 2010, when Greece\u2014on the brink of financial collapse\u2014requested emergency assistance from the IMF and the European Union. France contributed heavily to the rescue plan designed to prevent a destabilizing default.<\/p>\n What surprises observers today is the effectiveness of Greece\u2019s painful recovery program. The country paid off its IMF<\/a> loans two years earlier than expected and began repaying its eurozone partners ahead of schedule. After returning \u20ac1.7 billion to France in 2024, Greece sent another \u20ac1.1 billion ($1,27 billion) in 2025\u2014funds originally scheduled for payment between 2033 and 2041.<\/p>\n The move strengthens Athens\u2019 credibility and reduces its dependence on foreign creditors. The shift is so significant that, since mid-2025, financial markets view Greece<\/a> as a safer borrower than France, rewarding it with slightly lower interest rates.<\/p>\n A different kind of lesson for French lawmakers<\/p>\n During parliamentary hearings, Minister Am\u00e9lie de Montchalin did not endorse the extreme measures once imposed on Greece such as cutting public-sector bonuses or overhauling pensions.<\/p>\n