After the National Assembly, the Senate in turn rejected the idea of a tax on the “superprofits” or “exceptional profits” of large groups, Monday August 1st. Two amendments to the draft amending budget for 2022 had been tabled, in order to introduce such taxation. They were rejected despite the combined offensive of the left and the centrists.
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The UK, Italy and Spain have passed legislation to tax the profits of energy companies that profited from the crisis. Buthe French government is against this idea. The Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, immediately reiterated his opposition to the “Pavlovian reflex of the tax”arguing that large companies “must participate in the collective effort, by returning the money directly to the French rather than to the Treasury”.
“You reduce the proposals of the senators to ‘Pavlovian reflexes’, but the watchdogs of Parliament that we are nevertheless watch over the Nation with a spirit of fiscal and social justice”, retorted the centrist Sylvie Vermeillet. The centrist group had proposed setting up a “exceptional solidarity contribution on superprofits” up to 20%. This was to concern companies whose net profit would have been, in 2021, 20% higher than the average for the three years 2017, 2018 and 2019.
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“We were able to vote exceptional supporters [pour les entreprises]it seems to me today that we can hope for an exceptional contribution”pleaded Sylvie Vermeillet. “There is nothing shocking (…) in having a tax that is limited in time”, supported the centrist Nathalie Goulet. The amendment was rejected by 155 votes in favor and 177 against.
The PS group, for its part, had put on the table an exceptional tax of 25% on the superprofits of oil and gas companies, shipping companies, such as CMA CGM, and motorway concessionaires. According to the PS, this tax would raise around 4 billion euros for Total, 925 million euros for Engie, 4.4 billion euros for CMA-CGM, and 875 million euros for motorway concessionaires. . Without further success.
“All these amendments have the sweet taste of measures that only have the appearance of social justice”swept the leader of the LR senators, Bruno Retailleau, judging them “falsely efficient and falsely fair”.