Big accident for the majority: the National Assembly voted Tuesday, July 26, against the advice of the government, an additional revaluation of 500 million euros for retirement pensions, within the framework of the examination of the draft rectified budget for 2022.

The vote on this amendment by the independent group LIOT was won by 186 votes to 181, with the left immediately celebrating a "great victory" and the National Rally (RN) deputies a "breath of oxygen" for retirees with this 0.4 % additional increase in pensions.

The Senate dominated by the right, which will seize after the Assembly of the bill, can however reconsider this vote.

Monday evening already, 230 million euros for homes heating with oil had been approved, by concordant votes of the elected Republicans (LR), RN and the left.

The government favored aid of 50 million euros.

The Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, had called loud and clear for budgetary moderation, while 44 billion euros in credits are already open: "Let's keep the public accounts!"

On the one hand the government, deprived of an absolute majority, is trying to complete the first reading of this draft budget, which was originally due to end on Friday evening, so that the Senate can consider it this week in committee.

On the other hand, the oppositions, especially on the left, are defending their proposals step by step and are trying to wrest everything they can, in support of galloping inflation.

"We are witnessing a real distortion of the democratic debate", with "endless" debates and "pure political politics", denounced Bruno Le Maire on Monday evening, as discussions dragged on on access to water. or firefighters.

The insubordinate France answered him sharply on Tuesday.

"There is a re-parliamentarization of political life", welcomed Alexis Corbière on LCI.

The deputy warned against "Macronian propaganda", with an "anti-parliamentary speech which consists in saying: 'It is an assembly of chatterers, they are wasting the government's time.'"

"The era of a Parliament chamber for recording the wishes of the President of the Republic is over," added his colleague Adrien Quatennens on France Inter.

Non-stop debates

Still, in the majority as in the opposition, weariness pierces after these days and nights almost non-stop for more than a week.

"We are women and men with physical limits", slips an elected official.

The exchanges experienced a surge of tension on Tuesday, when the recent occupation of Bruno Le Maire's second home in the Basque Country by housing rights activists was mentioned, about an amendment to overtax these residences.

"Many of us have experienced threats," lamented Sylvain Maillard (Renaissance).

As in recent days already, the deputies have the will to solemnly adopt the entire rectified draft budget overnight, after the vote on Friday in the early morning of the “emergency” bill on purchasing power.

The LRs will vote mostly in favor, said their president Olivier Marleix, satisfied with the "positive showdown with the government" which has made it possible to take measures on fuel, the purchase of RTTs by companies, and even the tax exemption of overtime.

The left should vote against.

"We cannot support this package (on) purchasing power co-constructed with the right" and of which "equality and social justice are the major absentees", according to a spokesperson for the deputies of the Socialist Party (PS) , Arthur Delaporte.

On the RN side, "the vote for is extremely unlikely", indicated Jean-Philippe Tanguy, notably regretting the rejection of VAT cuts.

This vote will mark the end of the first round at the Palais Bourbon.

The ministers are asked to "participate in the work" until the end of the parliamentary session scheduled for this stage on August 7, recommended Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.

With AFP

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