In the current economic context, the news may be shocking. On Wednesday, the announcement of the 300 euro increase in the advance of mandate fees (AFM) of deputies caused an outcry in the National Assembly, so much so that its president, Yaël Braun-Pivet, defended this Thursday. measure, recalling that it was “taken unanimously”.
The decision to increase the AFM from 5,645 euros to 5,950 euros (+5.4%) per month was taken by the office, the highest body of the National Assembly, with the support of all the political groups present at the time. of the vote, except for LFI who abstained. The socialist Valérie Rabault, absent during the vote, had expressed her reservations.
“Lesson givers”
“Everyone voted for,” insisted Yaël Braun-Pivet on Thursday during his greetings to the press, castigating these “deputies who vote and the next day issue a press release” or “who abstain to now run the sets and say: ‘It’s a horror’. “I tell these lesson-givers to be consistent and not degrade the institution that I have the honor of presiding,” she added.
The National Rally thus requested in a press release on Thursday the postponement “sine die” of this increase which “rightly arouses a certain emotion among our compatriots in a period when the purchasing power of many French people is very degraded” .
“It seems inappropriate to us to make this decision” this Thursday, repeated the leader of the RN deputies, Marine Le Pen, during her wishes to the press.
Tightly controlled fees
Insoumis François Ruffin assured that he would donate these additional 300 euros to Solidarité Paysans, which helps farmers. “It is not part of the costs that he has the right to spend, the money does not belong to him,” recalled Yaël Braun-Pivet.
“This is not an increase in the remuneration of parliamentarians”, but “an increase in the ceiling of our expenses which allows us to exercise our mandate fully and meet the expectations of our fellow citizens”, a- she insisted. This money “obviously comes from our reserves, we do not finance it by an increase in the allocation”, she added, ensuring that there was “strict” control of expenditure.
Since 2018, they have been controlled and unused sums must be returned to the National Assembly treasury. In 2022, ten million euros were returned.
Source AFP