PARIS, June 13 (Xinhua) -- France, already under pressure to reach healthy fiances, is likely to miss 2017 deficit target due to the outgoing Socialist government's high public spending, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Tuesday.
Speaking to state-run Franceinfo radio, Philippe estimated "an extremely high risk" that the eurozone second key powerhouse will miss this year's budget gap target of 2.8 percent.
"Before becoming Prime minister, I had my doubts. Now that I am Prime minister, I have even greater doubts," he said.
"It can quite easily happen in the months before an election that a government let slide a certain amount of tough decisions, and then it is up to others to manage this," he added.
La Cour des Comptes, the country's audit office will submit a report in July which will determine "whether we are on a path to 2.8 percent or whether we are higher," the French prime minister said.
In a case of figures above the targeted rate, Philippe promised to take "a whole series of measures" to make public finances in order.
