2023-10-21 01:46:13
Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, at the National Assembly, October 17, 2023. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP
Elisabeth Borne easily overcame the motions of censure from the National Rally (RN) and La France insoumise (LFI) on the night of Friday October 20 to Saturday October 21 in the National Assembly, after having drawn out article 49.3 of the Constitution to have the first part of the 2024 budget adopted without a vote. The RN’s motion received 89 votes and that of LFI 219 votes, out of the 289 necessary to bring down the government. Their rejection constitutes adoption at first reading of the revenue section of the finance bill, transmitted to the Senate.
Previously, the Prime Minister had returned back to back ” the extreme right “ et “the extreme left”their “same culture of demagoguery” and of “excess”. “Holding the government to responsibility is never done lightly or easily. I do it out of dutyshe said, because France cannot do without a budget. » These two motions had almost no chance of bringing down the government, since the Les Républicains (LR) group did not join them.
The “authoritarian vestige” of an “outdated Fifth Republic” »
At the opening of the debates at 9:30 p.m., RN MP Alexandra Masson criticized a “poor and unrealistic budget”. She pointed to the fuel allowance, “yet another gadget check for 100 euros”calling on the government to “lower taxes”.
Speaker for the LFI motion, the president of the finance committee, Eric Coquerel, denounced the use ” tirelessly “ of 49.3, “authoritarian vestige” of a “Fifth Republic outdated” et “dysfunctional”, “disrespectful of powers” of Parliament. The “rebellious” MP criticizes the government for dismissing the “most significant amendments” as the “superdividend tax” or the “tax on share repurchases” large companies, which was proposed by the MoDem, an ally of the presidential camp, and which had been adopted in committee.
In the midst of the tearing apart of the New Ecological and Social Popular Union (Nupes), fourteen ecologists and fourteen communists signed the text of the LFI motion, but not their leaders, Cyrielle Chatelain (Europe ecology-Les Verts, EELV) and André Chassaigne (Communist Party, PCF), nor the boss of the PCF, Fabien Roussel. No socialist has signed.
Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers With the “moratorium” on the participation of the PS in the Nupes, a page is turning for the alliance of the left
“The tax gift too many”
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister used 49.3 for the thirteenth time since she was at Matignon, defending a text “responsibility” with “16 billion euros in savings” and investments for “accelerate the ecological transition”. Elisabeth Borne drew the constitutional weapon on the second day of the debates in the Hemicycle, even before the examination of the articles, while this first part of the budget had been rejected in committee.
Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Elisabeth Borne triggers 49.3 on the budget and cuts short the debates in the National Assembly
There are still many areas of tension, particularly regarding housing. Faced with the shortage, the executive has taken a step to partially reduce the tax reduction enjoyed by rentals of furnished tourist accommodation. But it’s a “measure” in the eyes of the left, which would like to tackle more head-on the « Airbnb tax niche ». The boss of Modem deputies, Jean-Paul Mattei, also criticized the government measure, “insufficient and poorly targeted”has “the edge of a housing crisis”.
Members of the majority and the oppositions have also failed to prevent the government from refocusing on the “tense areas” the device of “zero interest loan” for the purchase of a new apartment. Even if, here too, the executive has let go by adding new cities to these “tense areas” and by expanding the households eligible for this aid measure for the first property acquisition.
Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Housing crisis: taxation of tourist rentals, zero-interest loan… the government is marginally reviewing its budget
Retained thanks to 49.3, an amendment proposing very advantageous taxation for “international sports federations” is controversial. According to a source within FIFA, “the objective” of the government is to attract more to France the supreme body of world football, which has a branch in Paris but whose headquarters are in Switzerland. Green MP Jean-Claude Raux denounces “the tax gift too many. FIFA doesn’t need to evade taxes ».
Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers The majority’s tax gift to international sports federations
In the Assembly, deputies will tackle the first part of the Social Security budget on Tuesday. It was rejected in committee but the government intends to use 49.3 again. For the fourteenth time.
#National #Assembly #rejects #motions #censure #LFI #part #budget #adopted