OYes to compromises, not to “one-upmanship”: the government tried to square the debate Monday in the Assembly on its package of measures in favor of purchasing power, while left and RN clashed on wage increases .
After four and a half hours of discussions in the afternoon and then in the night, the deputies did not come to the end of article 1 of the first bill, which provides for the continuation of the “Macron bonus”, exceptional tax-free and desocialized bonus for employees.
The left alliance Nupes has never ceased to criticize bonuses for “smoking” coming “to replace wages”, which the majority rejects. Above all, the rebellious attacked the “good allies of macronie”, namely, according to them, the RN deputies who sought to amend or widen the bonus, and not to oppose it.
The leader of the RN deputies Marine Le Pen had called shortly before the oppositions to “work together to impose compromises on Emmanuel Macron”. End of inadmissibility therefore at this stage.
“I am reaching out to lower the price of fuel and heating, to increase real wages” and further lower VAT, Ms. Le Pen had pleaded, warning that the government should “get out of postures and sectarianism, fault what he [serait] severely judged by the French”.
While the macronists only have a relative majority, the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire had wished him “to move forward in the most constructive way possible”, but warned that he would “not go into a logic of one-upmanship “, 20 billion in aid is already on the table.
“The compromise cannot be bought with billions,” Mr. Le Maire had again launched in front of a well-stocked hemicycle.
Campaign promise, the bill of 20 articles “on emergency measures for the protection of purchasing power” is submitted for first reading until Thursday, with nearly 500 amendments still to be discussed. MEPs will continue with the examination of the draft amending budget for 2022 which should make it possible to finance and complete these measures.
Among the main ones are the early revaluation of 4% of retirement pensions and social benefits, the 3.5% increase in the salary of public officials, a means-tested food check of 100 euros, to which will be added 50 euros per child.
There is also the extension of the fuel discount of 18 cents and the tariff shield on energy, and the abolition of the audiovisual license fee.
“social emergency”
The left has crushed a package of measures “to the taste of too little” (PCF). It’s “a few crumbs and a lot of carbon”, according to ecologist Sandrine Rousseau.
These deputies will decline in amendments their own “social emergency” text with an increase in the minimum wage to 1,500 euros or taxation of the “superprofits” of large groups.
For the LRs, “discontent and incomprehension are there” and “you are fracturing society” by granting checks to some, accused their speaker Thibault Bazin at the address of the executive. His group is pushing in particular for a “lower fuel price to 1.5 euros per liter”.
While inflation stood at 5.8% over one year in June, “the hardest part, we are there for a few more months”, admitted Mr. Le Maire.
“No group, no political party, no deputy has an interest in saying at the end of the week that this text is not adopted”, otherwise “it means that the purchasing power of the French will not be protected” , according to the president of the deputies LREM Aurore Bergé.
No “demagogy” but “serious budgetary”, had also warned the head of state in his interview of July 14, wanting to believe “in the spirit of responsibility of the political forces in the Assembly”.
The RN group has already planned to support this “urgent” text, some Nupes consider that “it’s better than nothing” and the right promises to be “demanding” on funding.
Mr. Le Maire reached out to the LRs, saying he was open to further tax exemption for overtime – as voted in committee – and to broaden the compensation for those who use their vehicle to go to work.
The final adoption of the purchasing power package, after a shuttle with the Senate, is scheduled for August 7, if the government’s plan goes as planned.
During the past week, he suffered a first setback with the health bill, amputated from a key article on the possible return of an anti-Covid health pass for entries into France.
07/19/2022 00:35:55 - Paris (AFP) – © 2022 AFP