The Senate dominated by the right-wing opposition voted on Wednesday at first reading, after the National Assembly, alterations to the 2022 budget, with an anti-inflation extension of 2.5 billion euros to finance in particular an exceptional energy check. The vote for this second amending finance bill (PLFR), after a few modifications, was won by 251 votes to 28.
Deputies and senators will now try to agree on a common version of the text in a joint committee.
An energy check for 12 million households
This PLFR “is part of the continuity of the purchasing power package” voted this summer, indicated the Minister in charge of Public Accounts Gabriel Attal. It “makes it possible to ensure the financing of measures which will change the daily life of the French people while making a certain number of adjustments in a very classic logic of end of management”.
The text proposes “an extension of 2.5 billion euros”, including 1.8 billion euros to finance an exceptional energy check for 12 million households. And exceptional aid of 230 million euros to correct the “blind spot” of households heating with wood, whether logs or pellets. An envelope of 440 million euros must finance the two-week extension of the fuel rebate of 30 centimes per liter.
This amending budget still contains measures to support universities in the face of rising energy prices and armies in the face of fuel prices.
Other amendments voted
The Senate adopted a government amendment downgrading the public deficit forecast for 2022, which would stand at -5.0% of GDP, compared to -4.9% in the initial text tabled in the National Assembly. Mr. Attal, however, indicated that this return to 5% could only be “temporary”, the State counting on recovering funds owed by energy companies and not settled.
The senators also adopted, against the government’s opinion, several amendments by the general rapporteur Jean-François Husson (LR). One aims to allocate more resources to the needs of communities for carrying out road works.
Another allocates 100 million euros of credits to the renovation of water networks. The senators also voted for a centrist amendment increasing the credits dedicated to the France Services houses.