Will this be enough to end the crisis? Under the threat of a motion of censure which could bring down his government next week, Michel Barnier is letting go.
Four days before the second reading of the Social Security financing bill (PLFSS), which begins Monday, December 2 in the National Assembly, the Prime Minister announced that he will not “not increase taxes on electricity”as initially planned in the draft budget for 2025. This will allow, he specifies in an interview with FigaroThursday November 28, “a drop in electricity prices of 14%, which will therefore go well beyond the 9% drop initially planned. »
After having made a gesture in favor of the president of the Republican Right (DR) group in the National Assembly, Laurent Wauquiez, on retirement pensions, then another, Wednesday, in the direction of the president of the Ensemble pour la République group ( EPR), Gabriel Attal, on charge exemptions, Michel Barnier therefore grants a concession to the president of the National Rally (RN) group, Marine Le Pen, who had made the increase in taxes on electricity one of his “red lines”.
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The Prime Minister strives to counter this interpretation by emphasizing that in his ” majority “ as in the opposition, all those he has received in recent days have “asked to evolve” on electricity taxation. “The senators also voted unanimously in this direction”he adds, so as not to appear to give in to the leader of the RN, who threatens to vote on the motion of censure promised by the left, and thus overthrow the government. Finally, after a certain hesitation in its communication, on Thursday, the government announced that it intends to change the taxation on the regulated tariff for the sale of electricity from 1is February 2025, compared to that applied in 2024. Enough to mitigate the drop in invoices which is nevertheless expected, due to a drop in prices on the wholesale market.
But it is nevertheless to Marine Le Pen that the head of government is reaching out in what looks like a last chance offer. Mr. Barnier “evolves” on others “red lines” of the far-right party. Thus he promises to reduce “significantly” the “care basket” covered under state medical aid (a system which allows foreigners in an irregular situation to benefit from access to care), which Marine Le Pen is asking to reduce “drastically”. And reminds that measures will be taken “short term” pour “just” against illegal immigration, and for ” master “ in a way “very strict” legal immigration. He also announces that a bill will be presented “in spring” to establish a dose of proportionality in legislative elections. Here again, a long-standing demand from Marine Le Pen.
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