compromises with the right. While the government has lost its absolute majority in the National Assembly following the legislative elections, the deputies of the presidential camp have to deal with the parliamentary group of Republicans during the examination of the draft finance law corrigendum, since Friday July 22. Several measures taken for a long time by the right have thus been approved by the presidential majority.
1Redemption of RTTs
Flagship claim of the right and measurement of the program of Valérie Pécresse during the presidential campaign, the presidential majority and the LR group voted together the amendment of the deputy of the Renaissance group, Marc Ferracci, which authorizes the purchase of RTTs by companies between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2023.
This measure aims to “encourage the buy-back by the company of RTT for employees who want to work more”according to Bruno Retailleau, president of the LR group in the Senate, in an interview with Parisian. On the left side of the Assembly, the measurement goes badly. “It’s the pure and simple end of the 35 hours”worries the socialist deputy Arthur Delaporte.
2The increase in the overtime tax exemption ceiling
Measure also present in Valérie Pécresse’s program, raising the ceiling for tax-exempt overtime from 5,000 to 7,500 euros. A compromise to which the LR group had to resolve, which would have liked to completely exempt overtime hours from tax.
Again, the measure is poorly received by left-wing MPs who see this measure as an incentive for companies to impose overtime on their employees to the detriment of new hires. “The question is [les] make them so advantageous that at some point they are preferred to recruiting”thus protested the deputy LFI Eric Coquerel at the National Assembly.
3Doubling the tax-exempt aid to cover fuel costs
Another measure brought by the right and accepted by the government: the increase in the ceiling of the tax-exempt aid paid by companies to their employees to cover their fuel costs, which goes from 200 to 400 euros, and even 600 euros in the overseas.
In addition, another amendment carried by LREM was adopted to increase the current ceiling of the “sustainable mobility package”, which goes from 600 to 800 euros.
4The increase in the discount on the liter of gasoline
For several weeks, elected LRs have been calling for a fuel tax cut to lower prices to 1.50 euros per liter. Here again, a compromise was found with the majority. The Minister of Economy has agreed to increase the discount from 18 cents per liter to 30 cents, and to extend the measure until the end of the year.
A discount to which should be added the discount of 20 cents announced by Total in all these service stations. The oil group announced that the measure would take effect from September 1 to November 1, while the price of a liter of fuel is still around 2 euros.