The Senate, dominated by the right-wing opposition, voted Wednesday, November 16 in first reading, after the National Assembly, alterations to the 2022 budget, with an anti-inflation extension of 2.5 billion euros to finance in particular a exceptional energy check. The vote for this second amending finance bill (PLFR), after a few modifications, was won by 251 votes against 28. Deputies and senators will now try to agree on a common version of the text in a joint joint committee.
This PLFR “is part of the continuity of the purchasing power package” voted this summer, said the minister responsible for public accounts, Gabriel Attal. He “makes it possible to ensure the financing of measures that will change the daily life of the French people while making a certain number of adjustments”.
” Blind spot “
The text offers “an extension of 2.5 billion euros”, including 1.8 billion euros to finance an exceptional energy check for 12 million households. And exceptional aid of 230 million euros to correct the” blind spot “ households heating with wood, whether logs or pellets. An envelope of 440 million euros must finance the two-week extension of the fuel rebate of 30 cents per liter – which rose to 10 cents on Wednesday, and not at the beginning of the month as was originally planned.
This amending budget still contains measures to support universities faced with rising energy prices and armies with rising fuel prices.
The Senate adopted a government amendment downgrading the public deficit forecast for 2022, which would stand at -5% of GDP, against -4.9% in the initial text tabled in the National Assembly. Mr. Attal explained, however, that this return to 5% could only be ” temporary “the State counting on recovering funds owed by energy companies and not settled.
Road works
The senators also adopted, against the opinion of the government, several amendments by the general rapporteur Jean-François Husson (Les Républicains). One aims to allocate more resources to the needs of communities for carrying out road works.
Another allocates 100 million euros in credits for the renovation of water networks, but Mr. Attal judged that this request was already satisfied by the announcement, Monday, by Elisabeth Borne, of an increase of 100 million euros. euros means for the water agencies. The general rapporteur has also provided for an increase in credits for the maintenance of bridges.