The Senate with a right-wing majority began on Thursday the examination of the first part of the measures in support of purchasing power, which Minister Bruno Le Maire wishes to contain at 20.7 billion euros.
Extension of the “Macron bonus”, increase in pensions and allowances … the Senate with a right-wing majority began on Thursday the examination of the first part of the measures in support of purchasing power, which Minister Bruno Le Maire wishes to contain at 20.7 billion euros. The bill provides in particular for the tripling of up to 6,000 euros of the tax-free bonuses that companies can pay to their employees (extension until December 31, 2023 of the “Macron bonus”); a 4% increase in retirement pensions and several allowances (family, social minima) with retroactive effect from July 1, 2022; the deconjugalization of the handicapped adult allowance (AAH); as well as various measures to deal with the risks of energy shortages.
“Every euro counts,” warned the Minister of the Economy, wishing to limit the additional cost of Parliament’s contributions to the text to 700 million euros in total – half of which has already been committed to the National Assembly. The amended draft budget, the second part of support for purchasing power, opens up 44 billion euros in credits, including 9.7 to finance the 100% renationalization of EDF. He is expected in committee in the Senate on Thursday, then Monday in the hemicycle. The two texts were voted on by the deputies Les Républicains, but Bruno Retailleau, leader of the LR senators, who have the majority in the High Assembly with the centrists, laid down his conditions, insisting in particular on “that work pays” .
For the rapporteur LR Frédérique Puissat, the purchasing power text released by the Assembly “composed a heterogeneous whole, presenting only a tenuous link with the issue of preserving the purchasing power of households”. Three new provisions “to respond to the emergency, in particular of the French who work”, were thus adopted on his initiative in committee. The senators created a reduction in employers’ contributions, the amount of which would be fixed by decree, for overtime. For the rapporteur, it is “the necessary complement” to the tax measures adopted in the Assembly within the framework of the PLFR. Noting “a point of divergence”, the Minister of Labor Olivier Dussopt judged that it is “not really a device of purchasing power, but of competitiveness”. “It may eventually help if it’s targeted at small businesses,” he added.
The senators have also provided for the possibility of an early release of employee savings. They have also relaxed the rules for the use of restaurant vouchers, providing that they are authorized, until December 31, 2023, for the purchase of any food product. They again gave a turn of the screw to the “value sharing bonus”, supposed to take over from the “Macron bonus”, limiting its splitting to four payments, to prevent it from replacing salary increases. Above all, they have confined its sustainability from 2024 to companies with fewer than 50 employees. Modification on which the government wishes to reconsider.
“Power to Live”
Mr. Retailleau also refuses that the revaluation of the RSA is higher than that of the index point for civil servants, proposing 3.5% against 4% provided for in the text. But he will not have the support of the centrists on this point. The latter consider that “the text is “going in the right direction”, even if Jean-Marie Vanlerenbergue regretted that “we were not more willing to speak of + power to live +”. Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne (RDPI with a majority En Marche) says to him “three times yes: yes to curb inflation (…), yes to better protect consumers, yes to ensure our energy supply. Also supports Vanina Paoli-Gagin (Independents), who however recalled that “These measures will have serious consequences on our public finances. On the left, Cathy Apourceau-Poly (CRCE with a communist majority) castigated “measurements which absolutely do not call into question the basic choice of gifts to the largest companies “.
For the ecologist Raymonde Poncet-Monge, “this bill lacks sustainable solutions both for the ecological transition and to protect the most vulnerable, including young people”. The leader of the Socialists, Patrick Kanner has already noted that his group “will not succeed” on its proposal to increase the minimum wage to 1,500 euros net (against 1,329 currently) – also supported by environmental groups and CRCE . No more than the holding of a salary conference or the young RSA for all 18-25 year olds.