The “rebellious” and other members of the New Popular Ecological and Social Union (Nupes) do not intend to release the pressure in the final stretch of the campaign. While they have been accusing the government for several days of wanting to increase VAT to finance the 80 billion euros in budget cuts needed to lower the deficit, their leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, however specified that this was “from an analysis from him, at the microphone of BFM-TV on Friday morning.
« I accuse and say ‘tell us how you’re going to save 40 billion'”, said the conductor of the Nupes against the government, in a long development. Government spokeswoman Olivia Grégoire replied a few hours later, repeating that it had never been planned and that such a claim was only ” lying “.
“Tell us how you are going to save 40 billion? »
Mr. Mélenchon began his remarks with a long argument: “First, there is a commitment, made by the government of our country before the European Commission, to return up to 3% of the deficit. When we start from 6.5%, that equals 80 billion to be withdrawn from the budget. On this, I started by saying “you won’t succeed, therefore, you are going to make cuts in all public spending, as the European Commission is asking you”. »
« [Bruno] The Mayor begins by saying ‘it’s not true, it’s an invention'”he argued, before continuing: “ The next day he said it was true saying “we have always recognized that we are going to cut 40 billion”. So where did the other 40 billion announced go? »
This is where Mr. Mélenchon believes that the threat of a VAT hike may lie. But he underlines for the first time, however, that such an affirmation emanates from “analysis” de la Nupes, and is only a hypothesis:
“First, I tell them ‘you won’t make it and you know it as well as I do. Dso you will have to increase the VAT”. Why ? So that’s an analysis. Why increase VAT? Because the European Commission (…) has made the recommendation on two or three occasions – in 2012, in 2013, in 2016 and, I believe, in 2017 – to increase VAT to increase State resources. »
Relaunched by the journalist to find out if the government had written or announced a VAT increase, Mr. Mélenchon replied clearly: ” No Madam. It’s called debate (…). I accuse and I say “tell us how you are going to save 40 billion?” »
The government strongly denies any tax hike
On Tuesday, the boss of the socialists, Olivier Faure, had also stepped up to the plate on the subject, launching into the Huffington Post : « Comment [Emmanuel Macron] will he do since he tells us that direct taxes will not increase, that he will not touch the incomes and assets of the richest nor the superprofits of the multinationals? It will increase the VAT. » Wednesday on France Inter, he then mentioned the fact that this ” hypothesis “ came “indiscretions that come to us from a certain number of people who work in the offices at Bercy”.
This reactivation of the spectrum of “Social VAT” by the Nupes is only an erroneous and false trial of intent for the government, which vigorously retorts with pikes, while the attacks have multiplied between the two camps in recent days.
Thursday, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, thus estimated that “Mr. Mélenchon has a problem with the truth”stating: “We have no hidden plan”, on France Bleu. He underlined that the government had not planned to increase taxes, before seeing the grievance re-opposed by the outgoing deputy of Bouches-du-Rhône.
“When you hear, you read, that there might be a VAT project in the drawers, these are lies”also argued the spokesperson for the government, Olivia Grégoire, at the microphone of France Bleu, Friday, before declaring: “What Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Olivier Faure say are lies to scare three days before an election. »
“I confirm it to you as clearly as my name is Olivia: we will not raise taxes”, she repeated. For her, “those who offer [d’augmenter les impôts]it is Nupes”. “Jean-Luc Mélenchon proposes a tax increase of 160 billion euros: 110 billion for businesses and 50 billion for households. “We have in our program an additional tax cut of 15 billion euros”she insisted.