The Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire indicated, this Friday March 22, that the government would tax energy companies as planned but would do “no more than that”, while the question of the taxation of “super profits” raises questions within the the majority, faced with the fragile state of public finances.
Earlier in the morning, the President of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet (Renaissance), called for “starting reflection” on an “exceptional” contribution from large companies in the event of “superprofits” or “superdividends “, while the public deficit is slipping.
Questioned next on BFMTV, Bruno Le Maire opposed this option. The minister indicates that “there will be in this budget a recovery of the rents which may have been made by energy companies because prices have soared, […] no more than that.” “It is not a question of deviating from our line of economic policy which has given results, which are very good results”, he added. He also said he was opposed to the increase in taxes for citizens, seeing it as an “easy solution” which would not be “the right one”.
Towards a public deficit of 5.6%?
The government is under fire for its management of public finances. The public deficit for the year 2023, initially forecast at 4.9% of GDP, could in reality rise to 5.6%, according to recent forecasts from Bercy updated Thursday by senator LR Jean-François Husson, general rapporteur of the Finance Committee.
To correct this slippage in the deficit, the true extent of which will be announced on Tuesday by INSEE, Bruno Le Maire closed the door to a policy of “austerity” as well as “carelessness” on public spending. “Responsibility is neither austerity nor carelessness,” he insisted, “it is meeting our public finance objectives in circumstances that are more difficult,” added the minister. , reaffirming the government’s ambition to bring the deficit below 3% of GDP by 2027. “Reducing public spending where it is not effective to return the deficit to below 3% in 2027, we will maintain this line at all costs costs,” he promised.