Budget: the executive and the oppositions send the hot potato to each other

Is there another way than the strong method and article 49.3 of the constitution for the adoption of the finance bill for next year? The executive and the opposition are already seeking to blame each other for a possible blockage of discussions around the future 2023 budget, after Gabriel Attal’s tactical attempt this weekend to pave the way for dialogue.

The Minister Delegate for Public Accounts thus “invited the entire national representation to work on the 2023 budget even before it is finalized”, in an interview with “Parisien”. “These Bercy Dialogues will be offered to all parliamentarians from the finance committees of the Assembly and the Senate, majority as opposition” to discuss the “proposals in anticipation of the parliamentary debate”, he specified.

Wear the hat

For several weeks, the executive has been multiplying the proposals for dialogue, with obviously the idea of bear the responsibility for any blockages on the oppositions . At the end of July, Bercy had announced the creation of a parliamentary “task force” on the reduction of public spending, open to certain opposition forces. The ace ! The LRs have already announced that they do not intend to participate.

This new outstretched hand does not seem promised much more success for the moment. This Sunday, the acting president of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella, has already closed the door. But it is above all on the side of LR – which had allowed him to vote for his purchasing power bill in early August – that the executive is looking at. This Sunday, Eric Ciotti said he would oppose the text, while the boss of senators LR Bruno Retailleau explained that he would not vote on the budget. Within the executive, we do not despair “to see certain LR deputies abstain” despite everything.

The paths of the tariff shield

One of the issues in parliamentary discussions with the opposition should focus on the question of taxing the superprofits of certain multinationals, when Germany announced on Sunday that it wanted to make certain energy companies contribute – the word tax is not mentioned. Bruno Le Maire indicated last Thursday be in favor of voluntary contributions to a green fund by companies in good financial health. The message was clearly heard by CMA-CGM, which is one of the targets of a possible tax: the shipowner thus announced on Sunday that it wanted to devote 1.5 billion euros to an energy fund intended to “accelerate the decarbonization of its activities”, according to its CEO Rodolphe Saadé interviewed by the “JDD”. He also said he wanted to participate in Bruno Le Maire’s green fund “by allocating part of (his) commitment to joint projects”.

Another major subject of the future budget, the future tariff shield on energy and gas prices . Asked about the possibility that the bill will increase between 10% and 20% for the French next year, Gabriel Attal replied that it was “a possibility”. “It will not be 40% like in Germany,” he said once again.