Élisabeth Borne once again used article 49.3 of the Constitution on Thursday to put the revenue part of her 2024 state budget into a new reading, in a parliamentary context tense by Monday’s rejection of the immigration bill. “While constitutional deadlines are pressing on us and no opposition group is ready to vote for this budget (…) we cannot deprive our public services of their resources,” justified the Prime Minister.
This is the 21st use of 49.3 by Élisabeth Borne or on her behalf since her arrival at Matignon. It allows the government to adopt the text without a vote, unless a motion of censure is adopted.
The 49.3 “is to the budget what the black hole is to space”, launched Éric Coquerel
“49.3 is to the budget what the black hole is to space. It absorbs and erases all traces of parliamentary democracy,” Éric Coquerel, LFI president of the Finance Committee, had sharply criticized a few minutes earlier. His group responded immediately by filing a motion of censure, with President Mathilde Panot denouncing a “denial of democracy”. It should be studied on Saturday from 6:30 p.m., and its expected rejection would lead to the adoption of this revenue part.
By establishing “control of public spending” as a “first priority”, in the words of its general rapporteur Jean-René Cazeneuve, the 2024 budget provides for a return of the public deficit to 4.4% of GDP in 2024 compared to 4.9% in 2023. The Minister of Public Accounts, Thomas Cazenave, defended a “historic investment for the ecological transition”.
Teacher upgrading measures
The Prime Minister also highlighted in her speech measures to upgrade teachers, or the “reform of rural revitalization zones”, adopted in the Senate, which according to her will make it possible to include “4,000 more municipalities than initially planned” , in this device. The executive, however, is caught between its investment promises and its desire to control public spending, and the opposition denounces largely insufficient funds, particularly for the ecological transition, housing and education.
Concerning electricity and gas prices, the government has tabled two amendments to be able to increase prices by decree with a ceiling, in order to gradually exit the price shields. Thomas Cazenave, however, recalled on Thursday the government’s commitment that electricity prices at the start of 2024 will not increase by “more than 10%” compared to August 2023.
Against the advice of the opposition, the government also retained an amendment from Mathieu Lefèvre (Renaissance), to introduce advantageous tax measures towards international sports federations, in order to try to attract in particular the powerful Fifa, the world football authority. “This tax injustice is intolerable,” reacted the president of the RN group Marine Le Pen during the day. “This amendment (of) cronyism with the highest football authorities is a scandal,” denounced Eric Coquerel.