After eight days of debate at the Palais-Bourbon, the Government ended up drawing 49.3 for the 2023 budget to be approved. The Executive had not hidden for weeks its willingness to use this constitutional weapon to have its bill of finance.
“Responsibly, we must give our country a budget,” Elisabeth Borne argued in front of the deputies and in a stormy atmosphere.
“All the oppositions have reaffirmed their desire to reject the text”, the prime minister also advanced to justify her gesture, highlighting the impossibility of keeping “the deadlines set” while “there are still many amendments to be examined”.
Dialogue staging
Without an absolute majority since the legislative elections last June, Matignon had tried in September to stage his outstretched hand to the opposition.
A few days after the start of the school year, Gabriel Attal, the Delegate Minister of Public Accounts, even organized the “Bercy dialogues” to allow deputies to work upstream with the Ministry of Economy on the budget.
The maneuver was intended to stage “the new democratic method” promised by Emmanuel Macron as he sought to convince Les Républicains to vote for the finance bill or at least to abstain.
At the same time, the government assumed that it would go through 49.3 if necessary for it to be adopted in fine. In the event of a majority vote against, this “would leave few options other than its use”, even Gabriel Attal had warned a few days before the start of the school year.
The schedule of 49.3
But the discussion table launched by the executive is hardly convincing, nor are the meetings between the President of the Government and the presidents of the parliamentary groups. Enough to push to gear up and prepare minds for the use of 49.3, from mid-September.
Only one unknown remains: that of the tempo. If some advocate quick debates like Aurore Bergé, the president of the Renaissance deputies, Bercy decides to play the game in the hemicycle. Although several pillars of the majority initially fear parliamentary obstruction, the discussions move forward and allow Bruno Le Maire to affirm his desire for dialogue.
In a context of social discontent, between the march against the high cost of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, trade union mobilization, record inflation and a strike at the refineries, power also wants to avoid any accusation of forced passage.
“If we wanted to squeeze out the tiredness of the sessions and of the deputies who are eliminated, we had to go fast. But there, by choosing to make the debates last, we have clearly shown that we have tried to dialogue with all the deputies. “, deciphered with BFMTV.com a ministerial adviser after several days of discussions.
The fault lies with the opposition for El Mayor
Until Wednesday and the use of 49.3, when the budget vote was approaching and the Executive had officially scheduled the end of the debates for this day. There was urgency when the chamber must floor Thursday on the social security financing bill. Now instructs Bercy to refer the responsibility to the oppositions.
“You turned down the engagement. You were the ones who chose 49.3 (…). After the time of the debate, the time of the decision arrives ”, the Minister of Economy has already reprimanded this Monday in the hemicycle.
But more than the use of this constitutional device that had been in the air for weeks, it is the method chosen by Bercy that has been most disliked in recent days.
In a text approved with 49.3, the government has total freedom over its content. You can thus delete the voted amendments or even add some that have been rejected. Enough to push the ministry to choose among the approved amendments the ones it wanted to include in the budget finally approved by the government.
“We do not make our market” with the amendments voted
Among them are the modifications made by the Socialists, such as keeping VAT at 5.5% on surgical masks or raising the ceiling on food vouchers from the LR group.
But much more political amendments voted on in the chamber could not be accepted, such as the super dividend taxdefended by the MoDem and voted by a majority in the hemicycle.
“The National Assembly is not the Samaritan woman. We do not make our market. (…) The amendments are voted on if you find them good or bad,” Marine Le Pen launched to Bruno Le Maire on Monday in the hemicycle.
La France insoumise and the National Group should now present motions of censure, without much chance that they will lead to the overthrow of the government.
Source: BFM TV
