The National Assembly in Paris, November 17, 2015 (AFP/Archives/Joël SAGET)
Promised to the French in the summer in the face of galloping inflation, the bill on purchasing power and its myriad of support measures arrive Monday in the hemicycle of the Assembly, where the oppositions will storm proposals new aid.
The bill of 20 articles “on emergency measures for the protection of purchasing power” passes first reading until Thursday, with more than a thousand amendments to the key. MEPs will continue with the examination of the draft amending budget for 2022 which should make it possible to finance and supplement these measures.
Inflation in France (AFP/Sylvie HUSSON)
Among the main ones are the early revaluations of 4% of retirement pensions and social benefits, the 3.5% increase in the salary of public officials, a means-tested food check of 100 euros, to which 50 euros will be added. per child.
There is also the extension of the fuel discount of 18 cents and the tariff shield on energy, the abolition of the audiovisual license fee or even the tripling of the Macron bonus (tax-free and desocialized).
The final adoption, after a shuttle with the Senate, is scheduled for August 7, if the government’s plan goes as planned.
Because in the absence of an absolute majority, the game promises to be difficult for the macronists if they want to preserve the financial “balances”.
During the past week, the government suffered a first setback on the health bill, amputated from a key article on the possible return of a health pass for entries into France.
The purchasing power of the French under Emmanuel Macron’s first five-year term (AFP/Sylvie HUSSON)
The LR, LFI and RN deputies joined forces, in what the majority denounced as a “red-brown alliance”, Emmanuel Macron a “baroque hitch” during a “night heat stroke”.
Could the same scenario happen again during the week and see the adoption of measures against the advice of the government?
It’s time for mobilization on the majority side on this text “the most awaited by the French” and a high stake in the presidential and legislative campaigns. “When the battle rings (for the vote on laws, editor’s note), not one must be missing,” warned Mr. Macron.
– “Financial madness” –
Faced with high inflation (5.8% over one year in June), LR deputies are pushing in particular for a “lower fuel price to 1.5 euros per litre”, RNs for a reduction in VAT on prices Energy. The left alliance Nupes will decline in amendments its own “social emergency” text with an increase in the minimum wage to 1,500 euros or taxation of the “superprofits” of large groups.
No “demagogy” but “serious budgetary”, replied the Head of State in his interview of July 14, wanting to believe “in the spirit of responsibility of the political forces in the Assembly”.
The Vice-President of the National Assembly Naima Moutchou, in Paris on July 17, 2022 (AFP / Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT)
The Minister of Economy Bruno Le Maire also castigates the “financial madness” of the opposition with their 100 billion euros of proposals, while the salvo of aid discussed this week is estimated at around twenty billion and that the guardians of the public finances like the Court of Auditors are already ticking.
However, he reached out to the LRs, saying he was open to further tax exemption for overtime – as voted in committee – and to broaden the compensation for those who use their vehicle to go to work.
“The purchasing power text will pass, but it will cost 20 billion more” by letting go of the opposition, predicts an LREM source, who wonders how they could vote against.
In fact, the RN group led by Marine Le Pen has already planned to support this “urgent” text, some Nupes consider that “it’s better than nothing” and the right promises to be “demanding” on funding.
A macronist tenor to abound: “The advantage is that the oppositions want to go further, but do not ask us to give up any measure”, except the left on the abolition of the fee or on the LNG terminal project floating in Le Havre.
Hope for the new “method” and the search for compromise: a consensus is emerging on the deconjugalization of the allowance for disabled adults (AAH), that is to say without taking into account the spouse’s income.
© 2022 AFP
Did you like this article ? Share it with your friends with the buttons below.
