After four days of intense and often heated debate, the National Assembly adopted the second part of the measures in support of purchasing power on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, before its examination in the Senate.
The deputies voted at first reading this rectified draft budget for 2022 by 293 votes against 146, and 17 abstentions.
The Republicans, to whom the executive has repeatedly given satisfaction, supported the text.
The deputies of the National Rally, on the other hand, did not take part in the vote: they left the hemicycle in protest against the way in which the Assembly reversed an increase in pensions additional 500 million euros for pensions pension approved a few hours earlier.
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The government asked for a second deliberation to cancel a measure it was fighting, sparking a heated debate, with virulent exchanges between the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire, the Nupes and the RN.
After much debate, this first round, in the form of a test for the Borne government deprived of an absolute majority, is finally over: the deputies played the extensions for more than two days, the oppositions defending their amendments step by step in all directions.
Early Friday morning, the Assembly had already adopted the first part, the 20 billion euros of the “emergency” bill in support of purchasing power, in the face of galloping inflation.
The amended draft budget opens up 44 billion euros in credits, including 9.7 just to finance the 100% renationalization of EDF.
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Continuation of the tariff shield on energy and the fuel discount at 30 cents per liter in September-October then 10 in November-December, revaluation of the index point for civil servants, and even the abolition of the audiovisual license fee were also on the menu.
The proposal for a tax on the “superprofits” of large groups, made by the left, the RN and mezzo voce by the right and some in the majority, was narrowly rejected.
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The right satisfied
The boss of the LR deputies Olivier Marleix said he was satisfied with the
“positive arm wrestling with the government”
which made it possible to garner a series of measures on fuel, the purchase of RTTs by companies, and even the tax exemption of hours additional.
Conversely, the left did not want to support a text
"co-constructed with the right"
and of which
"equality and social justice are the major absentees"
, according to a spokesman for the PS deputies, Arthur Delaporte .
The LFI group plans to appeal to the Constitutional Council concerning the abolition of the fee.
On the RN side, the elected officials deplored the rejection of their proposals for VAT reductions, and more generally the economic and fiscal policy of the executive.
Read alsoPurchasing power law: "The spirit of responsibility has won", welcomes Borne
Bruno Le Maire also confirmed that
“by the end of 2023 we will put an end to regulated (gas) tariffs to comply with European rules”
.
The vote on this structuring text for public finances was much narrower than that five days ago on the first part.
He understood him the revaluations of pensions and social benefits, the increase in the ceiling of the "Macron bonus" and again, voted in a rare moment of concord, the deconjugalization of the disabled adult allowance.
The exchanges in the hemicycle, which lasted eight days and nights in total, were sometimes chaotic, and the majority was put in the minority on several occasions.
On Tuesday evening, for example, the Assembly denounced, against the government's advice, American extraterritoriality which requires French citizens born in the United States to pay taxes there, by approving, against the government's advice, an amendment LR primarily symbolic.
The day before, they had already approved 230 million euros for homes heating with oil against the advice of the executive, who favored aid of 50 million euros.
Bruno Le Maire also assured that he was going to “
lift the pledge in the Senate”
on this measure.
On Saturday, the Assembly decided to allocate 120 million to the departments which pay the RSA in 2022, to fully compensate for the 4% increase in this benefit programmed by the State.
The measure was obtained by the conjunction of the favorable votes of the left, the RN, the LRs but also the deputies of the Horizons group.
This is the first time that these allies of the majority have marked their difference.