One problem, one check. While purchasing power is essential, according to several surveys, as the main concern of the French a few months before the presidential election of April 2022, the executive has been increasing aid since this summer for several categories Population. Financial, fiscal or budgetary gestures sometimes criticized by the opposition and considered as “gifts”. “Buying social peace with gift certificates is good. Tackling the causes of the rise in the prices of fuel, gas, electricity, food is better. Governing is not writing checks on credit, it means providing sustainable solutions“, reacted the president of the group Les Républicains, Damien Abad, on Twitter, Thursday October 21.
“They are the same who would accuse us of doing nothing “, replied the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire. “If you put everything end to end (…) it constitutes a solid protection against the increase in prices which we are witnessing today, and which is, I would remind you, the consequence of the strong economic recovery.” What expenditure items are concerned? Who can receive these aids? And what amounts are we talking about? Franceinfo reviews the main boosts and their beneficiaries.
An “inflation allowance” of 100 euros for those who earn less than 2000 euros
What is it about ? Ofa check for 100 euros presented by Jean Castex Thursday, October 21 as a response to inflation and rising fuel prices. It will be granted to all French people who earn less than 2,000 euros net per month. This tax-exempt bonus will be paid in one go and automatically, from the end of December, by employers to employees, and between January and February for other categories, such as retirees, self-employed, scholarship students or apprentices. It will cost 3.8 billion euros to the state.
Who is concerned ? According to government calculations, 38 million French people receive less than 2,000 euros per month. This individualized bonus will therefore be attributed to six times more people than the energy check. Jean Castex presented it as “a middle class allowance”, intended for those who earn less than the median salary (estimated at 1,940 euros by INSEE for a private employee).
An extension of 100 euros for the energy check
What is it about ? Ofan additional check of 100 euros to help households with modest incomes to pay their energy bills, the prices of which are soaring. The measure was announced on September 15 by the Prime Minister’s services. Matignon evokes “exceptional social assistance (…) for all households who today benefit from the energy check”. She is therefore added to energy check, an existing system that covers part of the electricity, gas or fuel bills or even energy renovation work. “If the measures we take are not sufficient, we will upgrade it”, also promised Jean Castex at the end of September. This help benefits households whose annual reference tax income is lower “at 10,800 euros per unit of consumption “, specifies the service-public site.
Who is concerned ? Almost six million homes. They must receive this exceptional assistance by letter in December, regardless of their heating method (electricity, fuel oil, gas), without any action to be taken.
The price of gas blocked until the end of 2022
What is it about ? The Prime Minister, Jean Castex, first announced on September 30 the establishment of a “tariff shield” aimed at blocking the regulated price of gas until April 2022, after the 12.6% increase that came into effect on October 1. But in a second step, he announced, Thursday, October 21, that the period of blocking the price of gas would last “throughout the year 2022”. He justified this extension by the fact that world gas prices are not expected to fall next spring, but rather at the end of 2022, according to experts.
Who is concerned ? VSinq million subscribers (including three million at the regulated tariff) must benefit from it. Please note: the planned increase will take place … but it will be postponed until later. From 2023, consumers will see the price of the gas they consume heavier by a smoothing mechanism. It will pay a little more than market prices, so that the sums not paid in 2022 are gradually recovered by the operators. “A part [de ce rattrapage] will also be paid from the state budget “, Matignon also announced to AFP. As a reminder, the gas prices rose 51% from January to September 2021, after a sharp drop in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The increase in the price of electricity limited in 2022
What is it about ? The increase in the regulated price of electricity, which was to be 12% for the period between February 2022 and February 2023, will be limited to 4% via a reduction in taxes, as part of the implementation of the “tariff shield” announced on September 30 by the Prime Minister.
Who is concerned ? This cap will benefit subscribers of EDF regulated tariffs, i.e. 70% of households, according to The echoes. To go further, and benefit the customers of other suppliers, many industry players, as well as the consumer association UFC-Que Choisir, are calling for an increase in the volume of nuclear electricity at the low price that EDF is forced to sell to competitors every year.
An investment plan of 1.5 billion euros for Marseille
What is it about ? A very large investment plan announced by Emmanuel Macron at the end of his visit to Marseille in early September. Called “Marseille en grand”, this project aims to open up and modernize the second largest city in France with envelopes that “will be spread over a period of 5 to 8 years “ specifies Laurent Carrié, prefect delegated to the implementation of the presidential plan, cited by 20 minutes.
Who is concerned ? Priority is given to Marseille public transport, in order to transform its metro, port, bus network and trams. This site alone is costed at 1 billion euros. Among the objectives of this plan: better integration of the northern districts of the city, plagued by poverty, insecurity and drug trafficking. Aid of 169 million euros was also announced for hospitals, as well as the construction of a new police station at 150 million euros.
More than a billion euros for the Ministry of the Interior
What is it about ? Jean Castex had promised in July to inflate the budget of the Ministry of the Interior in the 2022 budget, with more than 900 million euros in additional credits. The finance bill goes even further, with an additional extension of 500 million euros announced by Emmanuel Macron in mid-September.
Who is concerned ? Vehicles, computer equipment, protections: according to the Ministry of the Interior, these additional funds will be used above all to better equip the police, whose staff will grow: 2,000 people should be recruited by the end of the Emmanuel Macron’s five-year term. Almost 190 million euros will be used for the natural increase in wages, along with the payment of bonuses for “the most deserving staff”.
Crop insurance of 600 million euros per year for farmers
What is it about ? From a guarantee announced on September 10 by Emmanuel Macron. “We have decided to put 600 million euros per year to finance the system, it is funds from the State and Europe that we are going to mobilize”, specified the President of the Republic. He promised that a bill would be presented to the Council of Ministers “before Christmas”. The text will be examined at the National Assembly in January for adoption. “in this term“ and implementation in 2023, at the same time as the EU’s new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Who is concerned ? All farmers victims of climatic hazards will be able to benefit from this universal compensation scheme, whether they are insured or not.
An extension of 2 billion euros for the MaPrimeRénov ‘scheme
What is it about ? This aid scheme for the energy renovation of housing launched in January 2021 is extended in 2022, thanks to an envelope of 2 billion euros, announced by Jean Castex in mid-September. Initially, the device was to last two years with a budget of 2 billion euros, but it will be fully spent by the end of 2021, revealed the Prime Minister. Hence the government’s decision to double the stake.
Who is concerned ? The aid concerns all households, but it is calculated according to the amount and the nature of the work. It is above all dependent on household income. Some 500,000 files have already been filed since January.
France 2030 investment plan, estimated at 30 billion euros
What is it about ? An investment plan presented on October 12 by Emmanuel Macron, the amount of which is around 30 billion euros over five years. This new project focuses on the reindustrialisation of certain strategic sectors with, ultimately, a hoped-for positive effect for employment and growth.
Who is concerned ? Digital sectors, green industry, biotechnology, space and health. Nuclear power is at the top of the priority list: “We must bring about the emergence in France by 2030 of small, innovative nuclear reactors with better waste management”, said Emmanuel Macron in particular. The head of state hopes “produce in France nearly 2 million electric and hybrid vehicles” and make the country “the leader in hydrogen green” by the end of the decade.