The decision has been taken: the Constitutional Council validates the abolition of the audiovisual license fee.
In an opinion issued on August 12, the sages of the Royal Palace validated the amendment included in the amending finance bill for 2022. Solicited by more than sixty deputies and more than sixty senators, it specifies that "
the disputed provisions do not disregard the requirements resulting from Article 11 of the Declaration of 1789
”.
The Constitutional Council, however, adds to its decision "
two reservations of interpretation framing the future choices of the legislator
".
The measure was passed by the Assembly on July 23, before being validated by the Senate on the night of Monday August 1 to Tuesday August 2.
With an annual amount of 138 euros in mainland France and 88 euros overseas, the fee brought in 3.2 billion euros this year out of the 3.8 billion paid to public broadcasting.
This validation is a victory for Emmanuel Macron who, during his re-election campaign, brandished the end of the royalty as a lever of support for the purchasing power of the French.
Rather than an annual contribution, the budget of public televisions and radios will be drawn from part of the VAT.
The voted amendment ensures a budget of 3.7 billion euros for the coming year.
Read alsoWill the abolition of the audiovisual license fee lead to an increase in VAT?
This measure should not lead to an increase in this tax, as assured many times by Quentin Bataillon, deputy of the presidential party Renaissance, and co-rapporteur of this amendment with Aurore Bergé.
This method of financing, however, is only temporary.
The public finance orientation law of 28 December 2021 will prohibit from 2025 allocating the proceeds of a tax to sectors that have no link with it.
A new debate will therefore have to take place.
