The election campaign may be over, but purchasing power continues to shape the political debate. It is on this ground that the oppositions fresh from the legislative elections in June intend to put the government to the test, testing its ability to find a compromise while time is running out: in June, inflation reached 5.8% over one year, including 33% on energy, according to INSEE.
While the government must present, Thursday, July 7, its bill for purchasing power, combined with an amending budget, the opposition intends more than ever to weigh in to influence the text, which will be debated in the Hemicycle the week of July 18. The executive’s “package” brings together the measures mentioned in recent months: extension of the price shields on gas and electricity, and the boost of 18 centimes per liter on gasoline, revaluation of various social minima and pensions, aid for motorists, tripling of the Macron bonus… for a total of some 25 billion euros.
A text “very, very far from living up to what the French expect”deplored the leader of the “rebellious”, Mathilde Panot, Tuesday July 5 during a press conference, denouncing measures “all below inflation” and ensuring that “those who block the country are Macronie”. The New Popular Ecological and Social Union (Nupes) has presented a bill which will be declined by amendments during the parliamentary debate, largely taking up part of the program of La France Insoumise during the campaign: minimum wage at 1,500 euros net, extension of tools to block the prices of basic necessities and energy, revaluation of 10% of housing aid and the point of civil servants’ index, “guarantee of autonomy” for the most modest households to reach 1,100 euros, revaluation of the back-to-school allowance, deconjugalization of the disabled adult allowance (AAH), deindexation of rents, etc.
Gestures which would be financed by an exceptional surcharge of 25% on the profits of a handful of large groups, the energy companies Total and Engie, the motorway companies, and the shipowner CMA-CGM, which would bring in 10 billion euros . Other countries, such as Italy and Britain, have similar arrangements in place, left-leaning MPs argued.
“No leeway”
“Do not think that it will happen as during the previous mandate”, insisted Mathilde Panot, when “the macronists refused all the amendments coming from the opposition”. “Power left the Elysée to come to the Palais-Bourbon”, added the socialist Boris Vallaud. Two weeks before the examination in the Hemicycle, no way of compromise seems to emerge. Bercy has so far always refused to block prices or lower VAT, and insists that there is “no leeway” budget for more expensive measures. The new rapporteur (La République en Marche) for the budget, Jean-René Cazeneuve, is due to meet with the heads of groups on the Finance Committee during the week. “My objective will be to find a majority for this text”he explains, regretting that “the oppositions did not seize the hand extended by the president” to participate in a coalition. « We have to start from our project and look at the opposition’s proposals »he says.
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