Paris (AFP)

The economic recovery in the face of the health crisis: the deputies started Monday in the hemicycle the examination of the 2021 budget, the right denouncing "a non-budget" because of the economic uncertainties linked to the health situation and the left criticizing the absence of ecological or social "counterparts" to tax cuts for companies.

The credits allocated to the recovery will not be on the menu of debates until the end of October, during the second part of this finance bill (PLF) 2021. In total, 100 billion euros are planned to promote recovery.

The first part should focus on the reduction of 10 billion euros in taxes on production of companies that the deputies will not finally consider until Tuesday.

On Monday, they stopped at article 2 of the text.

The beginning of the budget bill (PLF) was devoted to a long general discussion but also to debates around debt sustainability and the uncertainties weighing on a budget whose revenues and expenditures are threatened by the consequences of the Covid-19 crisis.

On the right, Eric Woerth (LR) lamented "a non-budget that will not happen".

He underlined the "volatility" of the budgetary forecasts because of the "great uncertainty of the health crisis": "we drive in a thick fog, without lighthouse and without GPS".

He again warned of the "ticking time bomb" of debt.

On the left, it is the future cuts in production taxes that have concentrated criticism.

The government is calling for a competitiveness policy to support the economy completely upset by the Covid-2019 crisis and to try to preserve jobs.

"We will not ask for any condition for this tax cut", Bruno Le Maire assumed in the hemicycle.

"We are only re-establishing tax fairness between France and the other countries of the European Union", argued the Minister of the Economy, while wishing that companies engage in "three directions": "the reduction in CO2 emissions "," parity and equality between women and men "and" promotion of social dialogue ".

LFI side, Eric Coquerel criticized the government for "pursuing the same policy of supply" and "austerity" by "distributing money unconditionally", through "gifts" to companies.

The PS regretted the absence of a "demand" policy and criticized tax cuts which will have "no short-term impact".

Christine Pires Beaune (PS) denounced "the neoliberal dogma", citing in passing as Fabien Roussel (PCF), the recent encyclical of Pope Francis against social inequalities.

Among the former "walkers" of the small ecological group EDS, we are contesting the "renouncements" on certain measures defended by the Citizen's Convention for the climate.

- "It's expensive austerity" -

"We will stick to the line set by the President of the Republic and on which the success of the recovery depends: no tax increase, no new tax", argued Bruno Le Maire.

And "austerity at 100 billion euros, it's expensive austerity", he told Eric Coquerel (LFI).

The general rapporteur for the budget Laurent Saint-Martin (LREM) judged the debate between supply and demand to be a bit outdated. What matters is to restart the country.

The deputies will floor once again on an exceptional budget, with the expenses which spin to restart the activity.

The government is hoping for a rebound of 8% of GDP in 2021 - a forecast deemed "proactive" by the High Council of Public Finance - after a historic contraction expected to 10% this year.

The executive expects a deficit of 6.7% of GDP and a staggering debt of 116.2% of GDP in 2021.

At the opening of the debates, Bruno Le Maire also announced that an "agreement had been found" with the chambers of commerce and industry (CCI) to preserve their budgets.

After protests from CCIs and elected officials of all stripes, the government renounced the 100 million euro reduction in their resources in 2021, given their "tense financial situation".

"And we will limit the reduction in the tax ceiling allocated in 2022 to 50 million euros," he continued.

A government amendment will be presented to this effect.

© 2020 AFP