They wanted to display it as a strong point, will they drag it like a ball? Since the start of the school year, the majority officials have constantly praised the quality of Emmanuel Macron’s economic and social record. Growth rising, taxes and unemployment falling… The Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, welcomed a “Success” for the Head of State, in particular in the run-up to the 2022 presidential election. “What determines how people vote is what they have on their plate. The economic record is nickel ”, they insisted at Bercy. Therefore, the strategy of the executive wanted to be clear: to develop this capital and, at the same time, to strengthen the tone on the regal in order to counter the right and the extreme right. But that was without counting on the damage caused by soaring energy prices, which revived the debate on purchasing power.
Thursday, October 21, Prime Minister Jean Castex found himself forced to play firefighters once again. He announced, during the 8 p.m. newspaper of TF1, that the government was going to grant a “Middle class allowance” of 100 euros in response to the rise in gasoline and food prices. From December, all French people receiving less than 2,000 euros net per month, or 38 million people, will be concerned, said the tenant of Matignon. There was no question of letting the embers of social anger stir up, three years after the eruption of “yellow vests”, which had been caused, in part, by the increase in the carbon tax. It took eight days for the executive to deliver this solution. It had been promised by Emmanuel Macron in the face of inflation which, according to him, “Touch all [les] compatriots, and more harshly the most modest, those who sometimes live in the least well-insulated dwellings, those who have to travel forced and who have to refuel every day ”.
“The figures are sincere”
The Head of State thought he had appeased social anger by pouring tens of billions of euros during the health crisis with “whatever the cost”; he is now forced to put the work back on the job in order to counter the disconnection lawsuits brought to him by the opposition. “The government is waking up, past mid-October:” Hey, it seems that there is a problem of purchasing power in France “, mocked the president (Les Républicains) of the Hauts-de-France region, Xavier Bertrand, Wednesday, on Sud Radio. These people, more disconnected in the world, that does not exist! “ On September 30, already, Jean Castex had to announce in disaster the establishment of an energy check and measures to block gas prices. These will be maintained “Throughout the year 2022”, the Prime Minister said Thursday.
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