In France, the left opposition welcomed the German proposal. But Bercy made it clear that Germany was not proposing a tax.
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No truce is granted in the debate on “superprofits”. A few hours after Germany promised to support European efforts to impose a compulsory contribution from energy companies, the French Ministry of the Economy assured Sunday September 4 that it was not a question of “absolutely not” of a tax. Germany made the announcement as part of a 65 billion euro plan to mitigate the effects of inflation.
>> To read also: we summarize the debates on the taxation of the “superprofits” of large companies
A few days before a meeting of the 27 member states around energy issues, Bercy refuses to lend the flank to the left opposition. The Nupes deputies have been proposing for months an exceptional taxation of the profits made by large groups such as TotalEnergies or CMA CGM.
“The German government has absolutely not announced a tax on the superprofits of energy companies”insisted Bercy in a message sent to journalists a few hours after Berlin’s announcement of its support for a mandatory contribution from energy companies, to be refined at European level.
This target contribution “companies that benefit from gas prices while generating electricity from coal, nuclear or renewables“, explains Paris. “This is exactly what France is doing (…) The mechanisms are not necessarily the same, but the logic is (…) and it has nothing to do with taxation”tried to clear the ministry.
Before Bercy communicated, MEP Manon Aubry (La France insoumise) was delighted on Twitter whether it be “Germany’s turn to tax superprofits”. “False again!”retorted Bruno Le Maire on the social network. “Germany has decided to set up a compulsory contribution from energy companies, which already exists in France and which brings in several billion euros.”