Recent government changes in France have created uncertainty regarding the use of restaurant vouchers, impacting 5.4 million people. A unanimous vote on extending the exemption for these vouchers until 2026 is threatened by a lack of government representation and potential legislative delays. Although optimism remains for a resolution, discrepancies between the National Assembly and Senate proposals could complicate matters, risking the vouchers’ applicability for non-directly consumable food items after January 2, 2025.
Impact of Government Changes on Restaurant Vouchers
The recent motion of censure has led to significant shifts in the purchasing power of approximately 5.4 million individuals in France. With the resignation of the Barnier government, the future use of restaurant vouchers in supermarkets is now uncertain. Effective from next year, these vouchers may no longer be applicable for purchasing non-directly consumable food items such as flour, oil, pasta, rice, and butter.
Legislative Developments and Potential Delays
On November 20, the deputies unanimously voted to extend the exemption allowing employees to use restaurant vouchers for all food products, including both consumable and non-consumable items, until the end of 2026. However, the Senate’s scheduled debate on this bill for December 12 is now in jeopardy due to the absence of a new government and a representative to advocate for the legislation. The likelihood of a vote occurring before the year concludes appears to be diminishing.
Even if a new Prime Minister is appointed by December 10, the chances of addressing this bill on December 12 seem slim. The bill requires prioritization from the Council of Ministers before it can be discussed. Compounding this issue is the possibility of a legislative bottleneck, as several other laws are also slated for examination in the Senate before the end of their session on December 22.
Despite these hurdles, Marie-Do Aeschlimann, the senator from Hauts-de-Seine and rapporteur of the bill, remains optimistic. She indicated that if urgent matters arise, Parliament could be convened between Christmas and New Year’s, ensuring timely discussions before the deadline.
There is also a chance that senators may not align with the deputies’ vote. The original proposal favored a one-year extension, but an amendment made it a two-year extension, which the government opposed. The majority in the Senate, represented by Les Républicains, advocates for a shorter extension to protect restaurateurs from losing customers to large retailers.
If any discrepancies arise between the two chambers, the bill would proceed to a joint committee for resolution. Despite the complexities involved, Aeschlimann believes that there is still a possibility to pass this legislation by year-end. Failure to do so would mean that from January 2, 2025, French citizens would be unable to utilize their restaurant vouchers for non-directly consumable food products.