Socialist niche: deputies vote for better price controls overseas

The objective is fulfilled. During their parliamentary initiative time, Thursday January 23, the socialist deputies sought to extract measures “concrete, everyday”. The bill on emergency provisions against the cost of living overseas was passed by 180 votes out of 181.

In these French territories, prices are often 40% higher than in France, due to the exorbitant margins of economic players who bring products from mainland France. Last September, Martinique experienced strong mobilization on the subject.

“This deep, legitimate anger is the deafening cry of people who refuse silence, recalled the author of the bill, the socialist Béatrice Bellay. “Today, it is up to us (…) to confront this persistent economic and social injustice. An injustice that locks 2.8 million inhabitants of oceanic countries into a system where living with dignity is a daily struggle”she defended.

“Impose financial transparency”

The text notably plans to strengthen the quality-price shield, which has made it possible to limit prices on certain goods since 2012. The text proposes to expand the list of products concerned, to include telephony, pharmacy and automobile spare parts. It strengthens the prerogatives of price, margin and income observatories in negotiations between sellers and the State. While some companies benefit from exorbitant margins due to their monopolistic situation, the bill adopted lowers the threshold for controlling business concentrations to 5 million euros.

Above all, the adopted text provides for“impose financial transparency, by sanctioning companies which refuse to publish their accounts and those which abuse their dominant position”argues the spokesperson for the socialist group. Business secrecy is one of the main obstacles for price observatories to determine margins.

On the government side, Overseas Minister Manuel Valls was surprisingly understanding on the price issue. “How can we prove wrong those who speak of a two-speed France? » he asked, noting that “sharing the value chain overseas is not equitable”.

Be careful, the convert to Macronism has not become a revolutionary! The government wanted, in the name of the sacrosanct “freedom to undertake” prevent the article prohibiting large distribution groups from holding a market share greater than 25% from being maintained. Without success: the deputies held firm and kept this article.

Furthermore, while Béatrice Bellay had recalled the “fight (…) just” in Martinique, grateful for the “means of struggle (…) sometimes questionable”Manuel Valls gave a lengthy speech, calling for “elected officials not to give in to any complacency in the face of this violence.”

After this text, the socialist group was to try to get the Crous to vote for the one-euro meal; provisions to oblige management companies to stock elevator spare parts in order to repair defective ones as quickly as possible; or even measures to combat the financialization of daycare centers.