The government is backtracking. A very specific scheme will ultimately never be paid to its beneficiaries. It was supposed to be generalized to help the poorest French people cope with inflation.
This is yet another disillusionment for millions of French people who were counting on this financial aid, promised by Emmanuel Macron during his presidential campaign in 2022. In this period of inflation which continues, particularly on the prices of food, this aid precious intended for the most modest had to be generalized in a territorial manner by the departments, in order to “to be as close as possible to consumers and agricultural producers“But this subsidy allowing households to do their shopping will ultimately not be extended, contrary to what had been announced.
“There will be a food check for the most modest, those with the lowest incomes.” had nevertheless declared the minister on March 6, before backtracking on January 7, 2024. In the program “Dimanche en politique” on France 3we then learn that the government abandons this project believing that it is not “the right way to go”. “I am burying the policy of checks, because I consider that it is not the right one to straighten out our public accounts, […] which is one of the absolute necessities”, did he declare.
Today, the government’s objective is no longer to create a specific food check. Bruno Le Maire assured, still in the interview on France 3, want to act directly to lower prices “on as many products as possible”. He also said he was optimistic about future projections: “I’m sure some prices will go down”, and it should be seen”as soon as the commercial negotiations have been concluded”, ce January 31, 2024. Concretely, real price reductions should see the light of day. “You will have price reductions on butter, on oils, on certain products such as poultry, on certain meats, not simply a stabilization. (…) It is not a question of returning to the prices of before crisis. It won’t happen”, he clarified.