From the morning of May 4, residents of municipalities subject to the Special Equipment Tax (TSE) will be able to see this threat at the entrance to their town: “Here we will pay the LGV for 40 years !”. This is the result of the action carried out by the member collectives of LGV NO THANK YOU who oppose the Great South-West Rail Project (GPSO) planning the construction of high-speed lines between Bordeaux and Toulouse and Bordeaux and Dax.
This project decided by the State is partly financed – 29.5 million euros each year ! – by the inhabitants of rural areas which would be crossed by the LGVeven though they are little concerned by the “saving” of time: 2,340 municipalities are affected by this tax in New Aquitaine and Occitanie.
This TSE has been included in the property tax since 2023, to supplement the financing of communities committed to the tune of 40% of an unknown total amount, recently estimated closer to 20 billion euros than the 10 billion announced at the time of the public survey. In addition, this tax is planned for 40 years, but the duration and amount may be increased in the event of additional costs.
This is symptomatic of a disastrous situation where municipalities are going into debt to finance a project that is of no interest to them, while there is a lack of means on all sides to finance the service and the existing network.
In fact, the collectives defend the modernization of existing lines and the improvement of daily train service, in particular by reducing their prices. The majority of neo-Aquitaine residents need smooth, reliable and inexpensive mobility, and not a race for speed that only serves to alienate lifestyles in metropolises.
It is because of this absurdity that many people are revolting and now refusing to pay this tax, what some opponents call “fiscal disobedience”. LGV NO THANK YOU invites us to multiply this gesture of public utility in parallel with the actions carried out by elected officials and collectives. As a reminder, three appeals are currently aimed at financing this project: two are currently being examined by the TBA of Toulouse while a QPC* relating to the TSE was initiated at the beginning of the year before the Constitutional Council.
For the future, the collectives invite all those who question the merits of this project to the Sarabande on May 25 and 26, on the route of the LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse in the surroundings of Casteljaloux and Vianne. Participants will find plenty of information on the consequences of this project, and a festive procession will lead to bicycle, car or tractor convoys. More information on Igvnonmerci.fr/sarabande
LGV NO THANK YOU (lgvnonmerci.fr / [email protected])
*Priority Question of Constitutionality
