Another budget, but this time with the hint of a compromise: the National Assembly on Monday began examining the reforms to the finance law for 2022, including new measures against inflation, which the Executive hopes to see backed by “a large majority “. This is the second amending budget project for the current year, after the one approved in mid-summer after fierce battles in the hemicycle, concluded at the end of the race due to a compromise with the right.
An outcome that the Government hopes to reproduce for this text, so as not to have to reactivate article 49.3 of the Constitution, which allows texts to be adopted without a vote, at the cost of accusations of “forced step”. Without an absolute majority and lack of commitment to the opposition, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne has already raffled this tool four times in the National Assembly, to pass the first reading of the State and Social Security budgets for 2023.
New lines of credit financed by better tax revenues
Will it be different for these new adjustments to the 2022 budget? “The text reflects, first of all, a will to support and protect,” the Deputy Minister of Public Accounts, Gabriel Attal, argued on Monday before the deputies, judging “that a large majority can gather behind this objective.” He defended the measures planned to support universities in the face of rising energy prices, those of the armies in the face of rising fuel prices or even the extension of the bonus of 30 cents per liter at the pump until 15 November, for 440 million euros.
The Government also provides for the payment of a new energy check of 100 to 200 euros for the most modest, that is, an amount of 1,500 million euros, to cushion the blow of inflation. Credits of up to €450 million are also available to help farmers. All these new open lines are offset by credit cancellations, thanks in particular to better tax revenues, the government insisted.
No return from the Executive on the taxation of “superdividends”
To convince the opposition, Gabriel Attal promised on Monday to “show openness”, citing in particular the measures requested in favor of exceptional aid for French heating with wood. But the minister also immediately put red lines: it was not about experiencing “a repetition sequence of the debates” on the state budgets for 2023. An implicit reference to the opposition’s amendments, some of which they put back on the table issues such as the taxation of “superdividends”, approved by the National Assembly but rejected by the executive thanks to 49.3.
There are still expectations about the thermal renovation
On the right-wing side, we do not rule out taking the hand extended by the executive, although the government continues to be accused of being too wasteful. “At this stage, we reserve our vote depending on the fate of the amendments presented in the session,” said LR MP Véronique Louwagie, insisting on the need for measures for the thermal renovation of housing.
The left-wing coalition Nupes (LFI, PS, EELV, PCF) generally considers the proposed measures insufficient, although the Socialists do not rule out abstaining from a text where there is “no negative measure”. The left insists on additional gestures in favor of thermal renewal, but also to support associations that work on food aid, which are increasingly in demand.
RN deputy Alexandre Sabatou, for his part, considered this budget project “disappointing”, although it is “difficult to reject it as a whole”.
Source: BFM TV
