The right-wing majority Senate adopted Thursday at first reading, with a few additional nudges, the first rectified budget for 2021, inflated by some 20 billion euros to supplement emergency aid and support the end of the crisis due to the Covid-19.

The amending finance bill was voted by 247 votes in favor (LR, centrists, RDPI with a majority in March, Independents, most of the RDSE with a radical majority), 28 against (CRCE with a communist majority, environmentalists) and 69 abstentions ( PS).

The text extends emergency aid to companies and their employees by 15.5 billion euros.

Of the 15.5 billion euros, 6.4 billion are programmed for the maintenance of partial activity, 3.4 billion for the solidarity fund and 4 billion will go to compensation for exemptions from social contributions.

To these expenses, 1.4 billion euros are added to finance several recent announcements.

Including 700 million euros for the maintenance of emergency accommodation places, nearly 400 million euros for compensation for farmers, especially those affected by the frost in early April, as well as 400 million euros for the "Pass'Sport" for young people.

Measures voted against the government's opinion

The Senate adopted a government amendment opening up an additional 43.3 million euros in commitment authorizations and 15 million euros in payment appropriations to strengthen state aid to communities in the Alpes-Maritimes affected by the storm Alex. He also authorized the Minister of the Economy to accept debt waivers as part of the ongoing negotiations for the takeover of Ascoval. An agreement in principle for the takeover of the Ascoval Saint-Saulve and Hayange sites by the German group Saarstahl was announced at the end of the afternoon by the government.

At the initiative of its general rapporteur Jean-François Husson (LR), the Senate also voted a series of new provisions, against the advice of the government: temporary tax measures for companies, aid in the payment of contributions for discotheques , postponement to January 1, 2023 of the increase in non-road diesel prices or even temporary increase to 1,000 euros in the ceiling for donations eligible for the 75% tax reduction under the “Coluche” scheme.

He also voted an amendment to exempt from tax the exceptional increase in the compensation of the guards of interns during the first wave of the Covid-19 epidemic, as is already the case for other health personnel.

The Senate again voted a series of nudges from various political groups, in particular in favor of farmers victims of frost or for the protection of victims of domestic violence.

However, many other proposals were rejected.

Deputies and senators will try from Monday to agree on a common text.

In case of failure, the National Assembly will have the last word.

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  • Senate

  • Covid 19

  • Budget

  • Coronavirus