after the announcement of budget cuts, Bruno Le Maire is eagerly awaited by the deputies

Bruno Le Maire and Minister Delegate for the Budget Thomas Cazenave will be heard on Wednesday by the Assembly’s Finance Committee. The session promises to be eventful.

Bruno Le Maire and Thomas Cazenave will be heard on Wednesday March 6 in the afternoon by the deputies of the Finance Commission. “It’s going to be a shitty time.”, comments a Bercy advisor who does not beat around the bush. But the finance and budget ministers are ready to face criticism. Bruno Le Maire rehearses his arguments in a newspaper interview The world. The tenant of Bercy does not believe in a State which becomes “a money pump”and assumes braking “emergency” while the finance commissioners, from the RN to LFI, protested against these 10 billion savings.

A massive cancellation of credits barely two months after the promulgation of the budget. LR will denounce “the sleight of hand of the government which had overestimated growth”. PS and Insoumis want a hearing in the form of a question and answer”tit for tat”, “so that ministers cannot evade choosing their questions.” There are often five questions in a row, before a grouped answer.

A democratic problem for left-wing elected officials

The left demanded, in vain, an amending budget, because according to the president of the Finance Commission, the rebellious Éric Coquerel, these “dark cuts” deliver the 2024 budget “insincere”. This is not the option that the government chose, too risky in the relative majority. A 49.3 would have been necessary, there would have been a dangerous motion of censure before the European elections. As much “play Russian roulette with 12 balls in the barrel”, according to a minister who mentions an amending budget, but after the elections.

In the short term, this hearing will therefore be the only moment of debate. “It’s a democratic problem,” left-wing deputies point out, “with 49.3, we no longer debate the budget, we no longer vote and savings are passed by decree.” “The oppositions are going to put on a show this afternoon, that’s the game,” concedes a Renaissance deputy who plays down the drama.

In the majority too, this planing stroke makes people cringe, just like the method. “We do not dispute the need to save money, entrusts an elected Renaissance, but we were not consulted, even though we need to know the concrete impact of the credit cancellations.” These critical elected representatives of the majority will undoubtedly say it less loudly than the opposition. “I don’t want to massacre Bruno Le Maire, assures a Modem deputy, but I would like us to be listened to.” Especially since among François Bayrou’s friends, some have an idea other than massive savings: “taxes need to be increased”, of the richest only via a green ISF or the taxation of dividends. Bruno Le Maire repeats in the world his opposition to tax increases. For him, taxation of the wealthiest can only be considered on an international scale.