Paris (AFP)

Economist Thomas Piketty said on Monday that, contrary to President Emmanuel Macron's commitment not to increase taxation, a tax hike had already taken place with the extension of a levy intended to repay social debt.

"What bothers me is all the unsaid. (Emmanuel Macron) tells us, for example, + I'm not going to raise taxes +. Except that in fact, we have already increased them," insisted. M. Piketty on France Inter.

The economist pointed to the recent extension over almost ten years of the collection of CRDS (contribution to the repayment of social debt, Editor's note).

The National Assembly examines on Monday a bill which takes into account, following the coronavirus crisis, the addition of 136 billion euros of debt to the "hole of the Safely", which the French will thus repay until in 2033, nine years more than expected.

"The CRDS is a piece of CSG (general social contribution, NLDR) but which nevertheless represents 0.5% deducted each month from all wages, from the lowest to the highest. Normally, that had to stop (in 2024), that is, everyone would have had an increase in wages or pensions of 0.5%, "said Thomas Piketty.

However, "the principle of extending it for ten years has been adopted," he lamented.

While "500 billion euros" have been spent to face the crisis, Emmanuel Macron on Sunday ruled out raising taxes to finance them.

"We are not going to raise taxes" because the increase in taxation "discourages economic activity" and "kills household confidence", added Monday Minister of Public Accounts Gérald Darmanin on BFM TV / RMC .

For Thomas Piketty, this commitment first means that the government does not want to restore the wealth tax (ISF).

"But when it comes to increasing the tax on all French people and weighing on all wages ...", squeaks the author of the best-seller "Capital in the 21st century", calling for "a renovated ISF "with" prefilled "tax sheets on the assets to avoid under-reporting.

"The main tax on heritage in France is the property tax (...). It is a very heavy tax, extremely unfair, which increases from year to year (...). The ISF corrected a little that, it was deleted ", while" a wealth tax of the richest 1% should bring in at least 10 billion euros "per year, commented Mr. Piketty.

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