Purchasing power: the astonishing convergence of French deputies on the "supertax"

Illustrative image: A sign bearing the logo of French oil and gas company TotalEnergies at a gas station in Nantes, France, June 30, 2022. REUTERS - STEPHANE MAHE

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

The bill on purchasing power continues to be studied in the French National Assembly, and the debates are still tense between the different political groups.

If on the majority of subjects, compromises seem difficult to find, the idea of ​​imposing more on the giants of hydrocarbons, with record profits, is gaining ground.

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Taxing the profits of companies enriched by the fuel crisis like TotalEnergies, the idea comes from the left. 

However, it was deputies from the presidential alliance who tabled a legislative amendment to this effect, leaving the rebellious deputy Manuel Bompard a little surprised at the microphone of our journalist,

Aurélien Duvernoix

: "

Anything that goes in this direction can count on our support.

Now I will see precisely what is behind the amendment, especially in the commas and the nota bene.

 »

And the astonishment grows even more when the Republicans, traditionally opposed to taxes and duties, express their potential support for the project.

Philippe Gosselin, LR deputy: “ 

taxing excess profits, which result from disturbances in the fuel price market… I believe that the question deserves to be asked and it could actually result in a convergent vote.

 »

Could this finally be an illustration of the culture of compromise that the head of government and Elisabeth Borne want to create?

If the opposition seems seduced, within the deputies of the majority, not everyone validates, like Éric Woerth: " 

I think that if there are companies which have made profits, they obviously pay more taxes in principle, since their tax base is obviously taxable.

This is not a possible way, it seems to me.

 »

The billions recovered by this exceptional tax could in any case solve a major sticking point in the discussions on the improvement of purchasing power: the financing of the fall in fuel prices.

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To read also: France: the purchasing power bill, not ambitious enough for the opposition

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  • French politics

  • Economy

  • Energies

  • Taxation

  • Company