Budget 2022 in France: Emmanuel Macron "burns the box", according to the opposition

French President Emmanuel Macron on the steps of the Élysée Palace in Paris on September 16, 2021. AFP - LUDOVIC MARIN

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

Not happy, the High Council of Public Finances in France, an independent body responsible for assessing the credibility of the government's forecasts, tackles the budget presented this Wednesday, September 22 by the French executive.

Many announced expenses have not yet been incorporated into the 2022 budget bill. The last budget of a five-year term is traditionally generous.

But seven months before the presidential election, the opposition in the National Assembly denounces this surge in spending.

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" 

Absolutely irresponsible

 ", " 

Emmanuel Macron burns the box

 ". The tenors of the right have a hard tooth against the French president who has multiplied the promises of budgetary largesse in recent weeks. The head of state is campaigning " 

with the checkbook of France

 ", denounces Damien Abad, the boss of the deputies The Republicans.

“

When you create expenditure, when you create debt, and at the same time you do not make any structural reform, it is the abandonment of the pension reform,

castigates MP LR.

It is the abandonment of state reform.

This means that basically, you make the current expense and that you never finance these expenses.

The "whatever it costs sanitary", yes.

The "whatever electoral costs" is no, because it is done at the expense of the French.

 "

Social bill

Plan for Marseille

, for the

police

, the

Harkis

… Who will pay?

wonders centrist Jean-Christophe Lagarde.

For the socialist deputy Boris Vallaud, the bill will be social: “ 

We are worried about not seeing the law we were promised on the first day of the five-year term on aging and autonomy.

There are a lot of people who are suffering.

We are concerned that we do not see a strategy for industrial policy and stimulus.

We have a president who is still campaigning today "whatever the cost" and whom everyone knows that after the election, it will cost a lot, especially to the popular and middle classes.

 "

" 

It's not open bar,

" defends the government, which relies on dynamic growth to finance its announcements.

Budget 2022: increases for ministries and omissions on investment and youth assistance

The government has unveiled its draft budget for 2022. This last five-year budget provides for an increase in the envelope allocated to ministries, approximately 11 billion euros additional compared to 2021. Almost no ministry will see its budget cut the year next. 

Apart from the Department of Veterans Affairs, all the other administrations will see an increase in their budget next year.

The best off will be the Ministries of the Armed Forces, of the Interior and of Justice, which alone account for 33% of the additional 11 billion allocated.

The executive also made the choice to significantly increase the budget of the Ministry of National Education, in the order of 1.6 billion euros. 

Tax increase excluded

On the other hand, this bill does not specify two major expenses: the investment plan for the future and the commitment income for young people, a new social assistance announced in favor of precarious young people.

They will be added by amendment later.

Failures that did not please the High Council of Public Finances which says it is unable at this stage to give an opinion on this draft budget. 

The equation will be difficult for the government between its commitment to reduce the public deficit next year and the increase in spending.

Especially that a tax increase is excluded.

The executive is counting on better revenues thanks to the new growth: it is expected to be around 6% this year and 4% in 2021. 

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