Paris (AFP)

The National Assembly largely approved Tuesday the first part of the draft budget 2020, before tackling the financing of the Secu, the Minister of Health promising future announcements on the hospital, "national treasure", against a background of worries even in the majority.

The revenue side of the state budget, which provides for more than € 9 billion in tax cuts, was adopted at first reading by 354 votes to 186, with 16 abstentions. The expenditure part will be examined from 28 October, and the whole must be definitively adopted before the end of December.

MPs "walkers" and MoDem voted for these measures responding in particular to the crisis of "yellow vests", as well as the UDI-Agir majority.

Socialists, communists, rebellious and most "Liberties and territories" spoke out against a budget perceived as "unfair", as well as the LR group, opposed to its lack of "efforts" for public finances. The deputies RN also voted against.

The Ministers of Public Accounts Gérald Darmanin and Finance Bruno Le Maire have defended during a long week of debate a reduced "tax burden" and the desire to "better pay the French who work".

But LR has denounced "tax giveaways" preparing "a torrid aftermath", with an increase in debt. The European Commission has rightly asked France for clarification by Wednesday, citing "risks of deviation" from European rules.

The key provision is the decline of five billion euros in income tax for households, as announced by Emmanuel Macron in April.

- "Powder barrel" -

The left, tirelessly denouncing a "president of the rich," notes that the cuts exclude non-taxable households. "Social anger is ready to come out," thundered Jean-Paul Dufrègne (PCF).

Another emblematic measure is the continuation of the abolition of the housing tax for 80% of tax households from 2020, and 100% in 2023.

The measure is accompanied by gestures towards the communities that will lose this resource. Right and left estimate the injured municipalities, in unison departments.

On the green taxation side, the text provides for the gradual replacement of a tax credit for the energy renovation of buildings with a premium reserved for low-income households. In addition, there is a hardening of the motor penalty, an increase in diesel fuel for road hauliers or an increase in the "Chirac tax" on airline tickets.

The left has pointed a "lack of ambition", like "Libertés et territoires". "Walkers" also argued unsuccessfully for increased "greening" signals.

After the vote, MPs chained with the draft budget of the Secu that provides a deficit of 5.1 billion next year.

For oppositions, it is a "return to the brutal reality" (Eric Woerth, LR), that "nothing justifies" (Joel Aviragnet, PS). The situation is partly due to the non-compensation by the State of the measures decided last December during the crisis of "yellow vests".

The Assembly has acted on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday this noncompensation by 89 votes against 42 after a long debate, despite a common front of the opposition of right and left against what she considers a " siphoning ".

The oppositions are especially alarmed that "the hospital burns". The PS presented Tuesday an "emergency plan" and an elected PCF has symbolically put on a white coat in the corridors of the Assembly in "solidarity".

Concerns were expressed even in the ranks of the majority, especially during the LREM group meeting where the exchanges were "heated", according to a participant.

Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn, said at the opening of the debates see in the public hospital a "national treasure", promising future announcements.

Not enough to reassure the oppositions, who judged like Jean-Carles Grelier (LR), quoting a professor of medicine, that the public hospital "will collapse as an obsolete bar of suburbs!", Or that "the government is sitting on a barrel of powder" (Joel Aviragnet, PS).

© 2019 AFP