Minister of Economy Antoine Armand emphasized the importance of supporting businesses to foster job creation and economic growth, cautioning against excessive taxation. His remarks followed Senate cuts to employer contribution relief. Minister Delegate for Transport François Durovray defended the mobility payment, highlighting its benefits for companies and employees’ commuting challenges. Gabriel Attal praised Armand’s stance amid concerns over recent tax reductions, which some believe undermine pro-business policies established since 2017.
The Message from the Political Family: Jobs and Growth Through Support, Not Burdens
On November 20, Minister of Economy Antoine Armand (Renaissance) emphasized in an interview with Le Parisien that the key to job creation and economic growth lies in supporting businesses rather than imposing heavier burdens on them.
He expressed his belief that internal disagreements should be addressed privately: “Within the family, we should not necessarily express it outside.” The following morning, Minister Delegate for Transport François Durovray (LR) responded to Armand’s comments on employer contributions during his appearance on RMC.
In his interview, Armand warned: “Beware of too much tax!” This statement came after the Senate made cuts to the relief of employer contributions in the Social Security budget. He reiterated that his political faction advocates for policies that empower businesses, stating, “It is not by hitting companies and increasing the cost of labor that we create jobs and growth.” Durovray acknowledged the natural diversity of opinions within their different political backgrounds, highlighting the dissensions on taxation that exist in the government.
“Everyone will be the judge. But caught in opposing winds, the Prime Minister maintains his course and avoids getting involved in futile controversies,” Matignon commented later when approached by Le Parisien.
The Importance of the Mobility Payment for Companies
François Durovray took the opportunity to clarify that Armand was referring to the mobility payment, a contribution that has been imposed on all companies with at least 11 employees for a significant time to finance public transport. This tax has faced criticism from employers in the past. “If there is a tax that is useful to companies, it is this one,” Durovray remarked. He pointed out that business leaders recognize the challenges they face in hiring employees who struggle to commute to work.
He argued that facilitating access to public transport, which is often more affordable than driving, is a crucial measure for improving employees’ purchasing power. The Minister Delegate highlighted the concept of “collective responsibility” in reducing mobility costs by up to tenfold through public transport initiatives.
Gabriel Attal, president of the deputies Together for the Republic (EPR), praised the Minister of Economy’s position as “fair and responsible,” a sentiment echoed by his political allies. The recent cuts to charge reductions, which were decreased to 3 billion euros by the Senate from an initial 4 billion, have raised concerns among businesses and the Macronist camp, as they appear to contradict the supply-side policies that have been consistently supported since 2017.