The idea of a tax on the superprofits of companies that benefit from inflation is debated in France, including within the majority. Elisabeth Bornethe Prime Minister said, in an interview published on Saturday in The Parisiannot to be hostile to its principle, judging however more effective a voluntary reduction in prices by companies in order to protect the purchasing power of consumers.
The president of Medef, Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux, castigated the hypocrisy of the government, Monday August 29: “Who is the biggest super-profiteer, if I dare? who makes the biggest superprofits? It’s the state”he said on France Inter. “Tax revenues for the first half of 2022 increased by 27 billion euros”he argued, explaining that it is “thanks to corporate superprofits”. “So this is good news for these companies, for their employees, but also for the French, for the State”according to the president of the first French employers’ organization.
.@GeoffroyRDB: “The biggest super profiteer is the State: tax revenues for the 1st half of 2022 have increased… https://t.co/enKFzz6THt
Asked about the fact that Great Britain has put in place an exceptional and temporary tax on the profits of oil tankers, the president of Medef replied that “Great Britain has a tax rate that is 10% lower than ours”. “The strength of French taxation for seven years now has been to be stable and to have a clear signal of attractiveness”put forward Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux, who must hold a speech at the beginning of the afternoon before the Meeting of the entrepreneurs of France, the summer university of the Medef). “We have an economic situation that is less bad than elsewhere, let’s not increase taxes”he further pleaded.
Shared initiative referendum on the taxation of superprofits
Sunday, closing the Summer Amphis of La France insoumise in the Drôme, Jean-Luc Melenchon declared himself in favor of the proposal of the first secretary of the PS, Olivier Faure, of a referendum of shared initiative (RIP) on the taxation of superprofits. To be launched, the RIP requires the support of 20% of the members of Parliament first, then the signature of 10% of the electorate. In addition, the “rebellious” have launched a petition for the government to tax the superprofits.