Despite the opposition of Renaissance deputies (ex-LRM), the National Assembly decided on Saturday evening July 23 to allocate 120 million euros to the departments which pay the RSA in 2022, to fully compensate for the 4% increase. of this benefit programmed by the State.
An amendment to this effect to the amended draft budget for 2022 was adopted by 125 votes to 98, by the conjunction of favorable votes from the left, the RN, the LRs but also – for the first time – from the deputies of the allied Horizons group of the majority. The 13 deputies present from this group, founded at the instigation of former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, had they voted against, however, would not have overturned the ballot.
“Trying to vote the hussar of credits to communities does not seem appropriate to me”launched the president of the deputies Renaissance Aurore Bergé, stressing that it is not now that the senatorial elections are played. “You have to know when to stop, we are not going to subsidize all the expenses of the communities”, warned the general rapporteur of the budget Jean-René Cazeneuve, furious. The Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire said to himself “Amazed to see parliamentarians who only have the word public finance restoration in their mouths engage (r) such public expenditure”.
The contentious amendment, initially brought by the independent group LIOT, had already been adopted in committee ten days ago, with another amendment to 1.1 billion euros, so that the State compensates communities for the general increase 3.5% for civil servants from 1is July. This other amendment was however narrowly rejected in the hemicycle, by 114 votes against 111. Points of order and suspensions of the session followed, while the left was delighted that “the presidential minority no longer decides everything on its own”.
Exit the tax on « superprofits »
After this “little psychodrama”according to the communist Nicolas Sansu, Mr. Le Maire calmed the spirits by accepting a ” work “ with all the political groups on future financial support for local authorities in difficulty. “The minister has confirmed that going through by force is not possible” in this Assembly where the macronists have only a relative majority, noted the chairman of the Finance Committee Eric Coquerel (LFI). While some 375 amendments were still on the menu, completing the examination of this rectified budget overnight seemed out of reach. Resumption finally Monday of this first reading around 5 p.m.
An upcoming point in the text has been cleared: Bruno Le Maire said he was in favor of increasing the discount on a liter of fuel from 18 to 30 cents, in a compromise with the Republican deputies who called for going ” further away “. The support of LR, hoped for to have this draft budget adopted without having to count on the votes of the RN, also materialized by the rejection of the tax on « superprofits » to within 18 votes.
Four majority deputies abstained, including Sacha Houlié and Caroline Janvier, who had defended the principle of this tax. One of their colleague from Horizons voted for it. The Minister of the Economy, for his part, criticized the principle of this tax: “ideological emphasis”, according to him. The left-wing Nupes alliance deplored this refusal, citing the cases of Spain, Great Britain or Italy which adopted exceptional taxes on « superprofits ».
In the morning, the abolition of the fee which finances public broadcasting, a promise by Emmanuel Macron, on the other hand passed without incident, although it raises many questions about the independence of the media concerned. LR and RN voted for, the left alliance Nupes unanimously against. Majority and LR amendments were adopted to affect ” a fraction “ VAT, for an amount of approximately 3.7 billion euros, with the aim of responding to concerns about the financing of this sector.