The Prime Minister spoke with a resident of Maine-et-Loire who questioned him about his financial difficulties, between a weekly tank of gasoline and an empty bank account. “I am happy to speak to you directly,” replied the Prime Minister without providing a precise answer.
A symbolic exchange. Traveling to Angers, Michel Barnier took part in the exercise of wandering for the first time to meet the French this Friday, November 15. Enough to push an onlooker to call on him to discuss the difficulties of his daily life.
“I’m outraged,” a passerby explains to him. “I can't understand that we are eliminating the housing tax and at the same time, we are increasing the property tax. The account is not there.”
240 euros increase in property tax in 2 years
“Last year, I wasn't very happy. It had increased by 180 euros. This year, another 60 euros,” still annoys this resident who calls himself a native of Angers.
The amounts of property taxes paid by owners jumped by 20% on average in France between 2018 and 2023, and by 32.9% since 2013, according to a report from the National Union of Real Estate Owners.
In detail, certain cities which themselves set the price asked of their inhabitants have increased their property tax, like Saint-Étienne (14.1%), Nancy (13.4%) and Villeurbanne (10%). ).
In Seiches-sur-le-Loir, the town of residence of the man who is calling on the Prime Minister, it increased by 6.3% in one year according to the BFMTV search engine. Even if no increase is decided by town halls, it automatically increases by 3.9%.
“I don’t have a kopeck left in my account”
“I have been working since the age of 16. I am 47 years old. I have held demonstrations (against) the pension reform. I have broken nothing, I am against the breakage. It is not getting anywhere” , still describes this resident of Maine-et-Loire in front of the Prime Minister who remains silent.
“I travel 25km there, 25km back to go to my job every day. I put 50 euros in diesel every week. At the moment, I don't have a kopeck in my account, I have nothing left. Qu 'what do we do?', the forty-year-old then asks him.
Response from Michel Barnier: “it is certain that the municipalities have seen a revenue disappear and are now compensating on the property tax, that's it”, says the Prime Minister again.
“I’m happy to speak to you directly, even if I don’t have the answers to everything,” the Matignon tenant then responds.
An increase in notary fees in response
Before referring the question of the housing tax, Emmanuel Macron's campaign promise in 2017, to the responsibility of his predecessors, explaining that “on the housing tax, it was eliminated a few years ago”.
If elected officials plead for the return of the housing tax – a tax often considered unfair before its removal – Michel Barnier closed the door to this option in an interview with Ouest France this Thursday.
To relieve communities, the Prime Minister, however, announced an increase in notary fees which will benefit the departments meeting this Friday during their annual congress in Angers.
“No means” to buy in Angers
Present alongside Michel Barnier, the former Minister of Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu (Horizons) who has regained his mandate as mayor since his departure from the government, took the opportunity to defend his commune.
“For 10 years, we have not increased the property tax rate in Angers by a single cent,” replied this close friend of Édouard Philippe.
“I can’t buy in Angers, I can’t afford it,” the passer-by replied.
Michel Barnier should have the opportunity to increase the number of rough exchanges in the coming days with angry mayors during their congress in Paris from November 20 to 24.
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