The debates continue in the National Assembly. During the last eight days, the deputies have been examining several measures related to purchasing power. After having approved, at the end of the night from Thursday to Friday, the bill “on emergency measures for the protection of purchasing power”, the elected officials debate from Friday afternoon the bill on finance reform, the “PLFR”.
But for Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy, the work is not going fast enough. “We are witnessing a true diversion of the democratic debate”, he launched in the hemicycle on the night of Monday to Tuesday, denouncing “endless debates”.
Because the review of the PLFR should have concluded tonight, according to the schedule decided before the start of parliamentary work. But due to the large number of amendments, this dragged on until two in the morning. It will continue this Tuesday afternoon, after Questions to the Government.
“It is the life of our Parliament!”
Indeed, more than a thousand amendments have been presented to this text which, if it follows the purchasing power law, above all allows the finance law already in force to be rectified: in short, the State budget. The opposition, and mainly the deputies from Nupes, advocated numerous measures, which were almost completely rejected by the LREM.
“You can consider that certain topics do not matter to you, it is your right. But we believe that access to water, that the issue of firefighters, that the issue of public transport, are decisive issues and that we must give them answers today,” justified the rebel Manuel Bompard.
“It is the democratic debate, it is the life of our Parliament! (…) We will continue discussing, and it will take as long as it takes, ”he said.
“Each amendment that has been withheld can be debated here,” he hammered a few hours later his colleague Alexis Corbièredefending in particular the blocking of the prices of basic necessities.
Several setbacks for the government
Except that, for Bruno Le Maire and the (relative) presidential majority, much of the opposition’s amendments would have a better place during the fall review of the 2023 Finance Bill or Social Security Financing (PLFSS) .
However, since Friday afternoon, the deputies voted several measures in the framework of the PLFR review, such as the suppression of the TV license fee.
But the opposition has sometimes managed to pass some amendments. The Government thus suffered a new setback on Monday with the vote to support up to 230 million euros for heating homes with fuel oil, in the face of inflation.
Later, against the advice of the executive, MPs voted in favor of an amendment aimed at ensuring that the new exceptional back-to-school aid for low-income families is implemented in Saint Pierre and Miquelon.
Source: BFM TV
