While calls to tax the wealthy are increasing, in an effort "war" to fight against the economic crisis that is hitting the country, INSEE publishes the portrait of 1% of the wealthiest in France. Is the government ready to backtrack on its promise not to raise taxes to tax the wealthy in difficult times? 

Who are the richest 1% of French people? While voices are rising to call for increased taxation of the highest incomes, INSEE draws up a robot portrait of the wealthiest 1%.

Faced with the very lively social tensions that are looming, many votes, starting with the CFDT, but also Raymond Soubie (the former social advisor to Nicolas Sarkozy) believe "that we will not escape solidarity measures" by involving the wealthiest. So, precisely, who are these wealthiest? Bingo, INSEE published yesterday, the robot portrait of the 1% of the wealthiest households. 

First, question: how much does it take to belong to this club of the 1% of French people who earn the most? You have to earn more than 9,000 euros per month. Attention, this is for a single person. Because obviously, if you have a family to feed, it costs more. So, for a couple with two children, you have to earn more than 19,000 euros per month to join the club. Not surprisingly, 43% of these higher incomes live in the Paris region. Then, they scatter: Alsace, Lyon region, Haute-Savoie ... 

If we do a table calculation, to recover the three billion euros that have been missing since the abolition of the wealth tax, these very high incomes would have to go back to taxes, on average, 11,000 euros per year. That would bring in three billion. 

But Axel, Bruno Le Maire said it again at the start of the week: no question of raising taxes, including for the wealthy.

The government believes that the mistakes of the past should not be repeated. After the 2008 crisis, taxes on the highest earners were sharply increased. Today, these 1% of the wealthiest households, pay on average, to taxes, 30% of what they earn. This is twice the national average. Question: Is it Too Much? Isn't that enough? Is it sufficient ? Look, in a country known for its passion for equality, this is the kind of debate that is not about to close.