The Senate adopted several measures on Wednesday aimed at toughening taxes on sugary sodas and introducing others, notably on advertisements relating to gambling, against the advice of the government.
As part of the Social Security budget project, examined since Monday, senators voted for several tax measures to combat addictions.
The government will have every opportunity not to retain them at the end of the parliamentary examination because it has activated article 49.3 in the National Assembly which allows it to have its Social Security financing bill adopted without a vote.
The measures proposed by the upper house on Wednesday evening, however, came from the Macronist group in the Snat, which nevertheless did not convince the government to give a favorable opinion on its amendments.
This group, a very minority in the right-wing dominated Senate, notably found a majority to toughen taxes on sugary drinks and introduce a new one, proportional to the sugar content of processed food products.
We must have a public approach towards industrialists to fight against obesity, justified Renaissance senator Xavier Iacovelli, the origin of these amendments which had also been proposed to the National Assembly by deputies of the presidential majority before seeing the debates shortened by 49.3.
The Minister of Public Accounts, Thomas Cazenave, said he feared punitive taxation based on purchasing power, favoring prevention campaigns over the creation of taxes.
Are you telling us that we are attacking purchasing power? But we are attacking the power to live!, protested the senator associated with the group Les Rpublicains Franois Bonhomme.
At the initiative of several left-wing groups (socialist, environmentalist, radicals), the Senate also voted for the creation of a tax collected on advertising expenses relating to games of money and chance, also against the government opinion.