The French National Assembly approved at first reading a package of measures to mitigate the effects of the inflation in the purchasing powerincluding a new discount on fuel supplies, which will go from the current 18 cents per liter to 30 cents in September and October.
Inflation caused that in addition to this measure, the Gallic Parliament gave its approval to the abolition of the audiovisual canon, to maintain the limits on the increase in the price of electricity (up to 4%) and the freezing of gas (at prices of October 2021) and an increase in the salaries of civil servants of 3.5%.
Likewise, the deputies agreed on the possibility that unused days off and overtime can be paid tax-free to employees up to a maximum of 7,500 euros.
Read more: Pandemic: a lesson to improve protectionn social in Latin America
Also included in the package in favor of purchasing power is the 100% renationalization of the energy company EDF, an operation valued at 9,600 million euros.
The Minister of Economy, Bruno Le Maire, defended the favorable vote of the presidential majority and stressed that in this way nuclear energy could be relaunched in the country, which is opposed by the left and environmentalists. “Nuclear has suffered a tremendous industrial abandonment in recent years,” lamented Le Maire, amidst the protests of the progressive blocs.
The Senate, dominated by the center-right of the Republicans, must endorse all these measures so that they can enter into force. It is expected that he will do so, since several of them have already been agreed with the party of the president, Emmanuel Macron, and his allies, who have a relative majority in the Assembly.
