He gives his word and counterattacks. Bruno Le Maire, responded this Wednesday on France Inter to Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of the New Popular Economic and Social Union (Nupes), who has been denouncing for several days a “hidden program” of the government, concerning a possible increase in VAT.
“I saw that he had called out to me quite precisely”, explains the Minister of the Economy. “He tells me : “Can you commit, Mr. Mayor, that there will be no increase in VAT during the five-year term?” I make that commitment.”he assured.
“The government is preparing to withdraw 80 billion euros from the state budget to respect the promise made by Macron to the European Commission. Bruno Le Maire confirmed the figure”assures the Insoumis in a press release issued the same day. “I said that the only way to respect this commitment for Macron was to cut the budget and/or increase VAT”, he adds. He also accuses the boss of Bercy of having “kick in touch” on the subject, Tuesday, during an interview on BFMTV, then “his reasoning deserves an answer”.
“We have never hidden that we would make 40 billion euros in savings, that is what is in the program of the President of the Republic, and I can detail them: 10 billion euros in savings which will be found by the pension reform, 20 billion euros which will be made on the State and 10 billion euros which will be made as savings on local communities, this is what has been proposed to the French “, also replied Bruno Le Maire. He clarified that “The 20 billion, it will be cuts in spending where it is estimated that they are not essential, it is the modernization of public action.”
‘@BrunoLeMaireMinister of the Economy, challenges @JLMelenchon on his program: “I agree, there will be no increase in VAT. I ask him three questions about pensions, price freezes and nuclear power.” pic.twitter.com/9Z0iIqnr01
– France Inter (@franceinter) June 15, 2022
The Minister of the Economy is formal: “We don’t take anyone as a traitor, it was said and repeated during the campaign”. “I find it a little surreal, not to say totally lunar on the part of Mr. Mélenchon, to question me about a possible increase in taxes, where I have lowered taxes by 52 billion in five years and where he proposes 100 billion euros in tax increases”he got carried away.
Bruno Le Maire then posed “three specific questions” to Jean-Luc Melenchon “on his project”. First of all, “Can you, Mr. Mélenchon, commit to retiring at age 60 and make a strong commitment to the French that there will be no reduction in pensions for retirees or increase in contributions for those who work?”
“Second remark, on the price freeze, since he wants to freeze the price: can you guarantee that there will be no rationing? How will you freeze the prices of gasoline? How will you compensate? How will you can you find the money?”he asked, among others.
Finally, “on nuclear power, what are the reactors that Mr. Mélenchon intends to close, when, what will he do for the 200,000 employees and workers who work in the nuclear sector and where will he find the carbon-free electricity we need ?”
In a post on his blog, published after this interview with Bruno Le Maire, the former La France insoumise presidential candidate assured that he would answer his questions. “during the day”.