“We are going to give birth to a mouse and I don’t like that,” regretted this Wednesday evening in the Assembly the MoDem deputy Richard Ramos during the examination of the bill aimed at extending the exemption for the use of meal vouchers for any food product. “Except the lamb mouse, Mister Deputy!” », retorted the Insoumis Sébastien Delogu jokingly. “We need to prevent Mr. Ramos from eating mice!” », continued Laurent Wauquiez.
The atmosphere was relaxed in the hemicycle when the deputies examined the bill from elected DR Anne-Laure Blin. While the tone was raised very loudly in the Economic Affairs Committee, the deputies largely agreed to extend for two years the use of meal vouchers for the purchase of non-consumable foodstuffs, such as rice, pasta or even the flour. The National Assembly thus returned to the version of the text amended in committee, which had perpetuated the system ad vitam aeternam, after having voted for an amendment from former minister Olivia Grégoire.
This sustainability, for many deputies, was not satisfactory. Because it did not make it possible to respond to the very strong fears expressed by restaurateurs, who saw their market share fall on meal vouchers, to the benefit of supermarkets, with losses estimated at 550 million euros since 2022. The extension was considered essential given the difficulties encountered by the French in feeding themselves and coping with inflation.
During the debates, Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs Laurence Garnier committed to launching an in-depth reform of the meal voucher mechanism from January 2025. But will the government even have time? “If the government falls, the commitments made will fall with it,” lamented the rebellious Hadrien Clouet.
Implemented in 2022, the exemption for the use of meal vouchers had been extended by one year in 2023, and was therefore due to end in December 2024. The vote on this text in the National Assembly does not, however, mark the end parliamentary work, since it will now have to be examined in the Senate. The duration of the extension will then be closely scrutinized, while the senators were leaning towards a duration of one year.
