BERTRAND GUAY / AFP
In the Finance Committee, La France insoumise adopted an “exceptional contribution” for very large companies (illustrative photo: Éric Coquerel on October 16).
POLITICS – Failing to govern, the left can boast of recording some highly symbolic victories. Like this tax on superprofits adopted by the Finance Committee on the night of Friday October 18 to Saturday October 19, in full preparation of the 2025 budget. Proposed by the deputies of La France insoumise, this “exceptional contribution”which would apply to companies with a turnover of more than 750 million euros, would, according to them, bring 15 billion euros back into the state’s coffers. A sum far from being anecdotal given the catastrophic public deficit, which could reach 6.1% of GDP at the end of the year.
For the rebels, this tax would allow “make crisis profiteers contribute to national solidarity”who are “indecently enriched” during the Covid crisis then during the surge in energy prices following the war in Ukraine.
« NoWe are accumulating victories in the Finance Committee against the richest and the multinationals. If we did not make the very large companies, which have been the winners of these seven years of macronism, contribute, this will make the budget definitively unacceptable”rejoiced the LFI president of the Finance Committee Éric Coquerel. “Huge victory, also welcomed LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard. Vote after vote, we demonstrate that a budget from the New Popular Front can achieve a majority in the National Assembly”. “Mr Barnier, where did your majority go? », Ironically asked LFI MP Claire Lejeune.
A cry of joy which, however, deserves to be put into perspective: these amendments will be put back to the vote next week in the hemicycle, when the “revenue” part of the 2025 budget will be examined. The deputies will then start from the original version of the project, as presented by the government.
“Leave the territory”
Concretely, the elected officials retained a definition of « superprofit » as being the share of the company’s profits exceeding 1.25 times the average annual profits made over the pre-Covid period. If the left succeeded in imposing its views on the issue, this did not fail to make the right howl. “If you want all our companies to leave the territory, you are right: this is the way to go about it”protested LR MP Véronique Louwagie. The National Rally abstained.
The NFP can claim other small victories in the Finance Committee: an amendment aimed at taxing multinationals on their profits actually made in France was also adopted. With 26 billion euros in new revenue, assure the Mélenchonist deputies. An increase in the overall operating allocation (DGF) allocated by the State to municipalities and departments found the consent of deputies, as did several measures relating to aid to businesses, and in particular the research tax credit (CIR) put in place under François Hollande, much criticized on the left.
Several increases in local taxes, notably the housing tax on second homes, have finally been adopted. This Saturday, October 19, more than 400 amendments still remained to be examined, before the launch of the debates in the hemicycle from Monday.
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