The Senate examined the state budget in committee on Wednesday, its right and center majority promising a “responsible” examination of this text to find “4 to 5 billion additional savings” despite 49.3 which limits its room for maneuver.
The Finance Committee of the upper house adopted, with modifications, the first part of the 2024 finance bill, dedicated to state revenue, one week before the start of its examination in the Chamber on November 23.
The general budget rapporteur Jean-Franois Husson (Les Républicains) had nearly a hundred amendments adopted, which will nevertheless have to be submitted to the vote of senators again in public session, in accordance with the rules of budgetary examination.
The committee examination set the tone for the intentions of the senatorial majority, faced with a government budget deemed irresponsible by Mr. Husson.
We will be in a reasonable and responsible spirit, explained the general rapporteur to AFP after the commission meeting, promising to build a different offer in the face of the budget deficit estimated by the government at 144.5 billion euros in 2024.
Thus, the Senate is preparing to reduce spending in its version of the budget, with a savings objective of 4.5 billion euros according to Jean-Franois Husson, which targets public service operators, development aid and even state medical aid, which the Senate proposed transforming into emergency medical aid during the examination of the immigration bill in recent days.
The debates on the budget will last until December 12 in the first reading, with little chance for the Senate to convince the government to follow its proposals, because the executive activated article 49.3 of the Constitution in the Assembly national to have its budget adopted without a vote. This allows him to select the measurements as he wishes.
Among the amendments adopted in committee, the senators returned to an increase of 209 million planned for public broadcasting, they removed the exemptions granted to sports federations like Fifa – considered as a tax gift -, and created a streaming tax for online music platforms with a view to financing the National Music Center (CNM).
The senatorial majority will also propose an exceptional envelope of 100 million euros for the attention of the departments.