A boulevard for the oppositions, a Way of the Cross for the government. On the fourth day of examination of the 2023 budget, it was in a National Assembly white-hot by the very long suspense on the expected activation of article 49.3 that heated debates were held on Monday, October 17 around the solidarity tax on wealth (ISF). With, moreover, an opposition boosted – on the left – by the social movement, which has been gaining momentum for several days.
After an hour and a half of discussions, none of the eight amendments proposing to restore this symbolic reform was however adopted. They paid the price for the division of oppositions: the National Rally (RN) voted against, or abstained, on the amendments made by groups of the New Popular Ecological and Social Union (Nupes), while the left alliance rejected the RN’s proposal. The Republican (LR) deputies, notoriously absent compared to the benches provided by the other oppositions (only five deputies), voted against, in concert with the majority. Amendments aimed at integrating works of art, yachts and private jets into the tax base on real estate wealth (IFI) or at taxing very high estates have all been rejected.
The tension was palpable on the executive side. Fearing that the precedent of the amendment on the taxation of “superdividends”, carried by the MoDem and adopted after having been voted on by nineteen Renaissance deputies, on Wednesday, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, will be replayed. asked in the preamble for a long interruption of the session, in order to beat the recall of the troops. “It was necessary to recall the challenge of these debates and to preserve the coherence of the economic and fiscal policy that we have been conducting since 2017: lowering taxes, increasing the attractiveness of the country and better remunerating work”explained Mr. Le Maire – even if, with 49.3, the government could have overridden it, if the amendments were adopted.
“Evaporation of Wealth”
Once launched, the debates turned to the shelling of one of Emmanuel Macron’s flagship measures. Each camp defended the interest or not of restoring the ISF, which had been replaced, in 2018, by the IFI, at the same time as a “flat tax” of 30% was introduced on capital income (interest , dividends, etc.).
“The ISF has become the symbol of your pro-rich policy”attacked the leader of the deputies La France insoumise (LFI), Mathilde Panot, according to which a climate ISF – indexed on CO2 emissions2 – would bring in 10 billion euros a year. “The tax policy implemented over the past five years has reinforced the feeling of injustice” et “jeopardized tax consent”pointed out Christine Pires Beaune (Socialist Party, Puy-de-Dôme), pleading for “restore confidence to our fellow citizens”. The abolition of the ISF “has remained as a marker of injustice”added François Ruffin (LFI, Somme), while Jean-Philippe Tanguy (RN, Somme) lamented: “Your runoff model is an evaporation of wealth. »
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