Posted Oct 15, 2022 8:57 AM
The Assembly adopted on Friday at first reading several amendments to the 2023 budget against the government’s opinion, during a tense session at the end, the left accusing the executive of doing everything to avoid the examination of amendments on the ‘ISF and forecast a 49.3 on Monday.
Around 11:50 p.m., when the session was due to end at midnight, several left-wing deputies questioned the Minister of Public Accounts Gabriel Attal, accusing him of knowingly prolonging an intervention on an amendment on the sale of historic monuments. Their grievance? There remained only one amendment after this one before examining proposals for the re-establishment of the ISF. “We are talking about the attractiveness of rural areas,” defended the minister.
“Dilatory maneuvers”
Also in the viewfinder of the Nupes deputies, two preliminary suspensions of session, one at the initiative of Renaissance, the other at that of the general rapporteur Jean-René Caezeneuve (Renaissance). “It is still bizarre that just before the ISF amendment there are two suspensions of the meeting and endless speeches by the presidential minority and the ministers, especially since there is a rumor of a 49.3 from Monday”, denounced the leader of the LFI deputies Mathilde Panot during a point of order, asking for an extension of the session to examine the ISF amendments. A request supported by his PS counterpart Boris Vallaud in the face of “dilatory maneuvers”.
“We had a badly positioned and badly written amendment rewritten,” replied Renaissance MP Sylvain Maillard, to justify interruptions of the session. “They were afraid of being outvoted by the RNs who want a restoration of the ISF”, scolded an LFI deputy leaving the Hemicycle.
The recourse by the government to article 49.3 of the Constitution, expected because of the absence of an absolute majority, would interrupt the examination of the text which would then be adopted without a vote, except adoption of a motion of censure.
In the confusion, the leader of the MoDem deputies Jean-Paul Mattei in turn asked for a suspension, before the Renaissance president of the Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet finally put an end to the debates, about 5 minutes before the scheduled end, announcing that they would resume on Monday afternoon.
Battle over amendments
Before this stormy end, the deputies adopted a series of amendments, some of which were against the advice of the government. An LR amendment to “correct the failures” of the MaPrimeRenov’ device for energy renovation of housing via a tax credit was voted by a short head (92 for, 88 against), supported by Nupes (LFI, PS, EELV , PCF), and the RN. He asks the government to “review the device”, so that it finances more global renovations rather than small works. It provides for the creation of a tax credit, without setting a threshold or rate.
The Assembly also adopted an amendment concerning volunteers, against the advice of the executive. It aims to transform into a tax credit an existing tax reduction for their mileage expenses as part of their associative commitment.
It also adopted, against the advice of the government, an amendment… Renaissance. Filed by Sophie Panonacle, it provides for a tax on real estate transactions, of 0.01%, to pay some 35 million euros per year into a fund for municipalities affected by coastal erosion.
Small victories for the majority
The government, which suffered a series of defeats during the week for lack of an absolute majority, will have every opportunity to include or not these amendments in the budget if it were to submit it next week to the procedure of 49.3.
On the other hand, with the approval of the government, the deputies increased to 3,500 euros per dependent child the ceiling of the tax credit for childcare expenses for children under six, against 2,300 euros today.
They also adopted a MoDem/Renaissance amendment which raises the exemption ceiling to 75% when donating or inheriting rural property. It would rise to 500,000 euros against 300,000 today.
The Assembly also rejected, on the advice of the government, amendments providing for the deductibility of loan interest for first-time buyers of a home, provided that the latter met environmental construction requirements.
The deputies also held a long debate on the reform of inheritance rights, the chairman of the Finance Committee Eric Coquerel (LFI) announcing the launch of a fact-finding mission, “probably next year”.
Source AFP