2024-11-21 01:11:00
The Minister of the Economy, Antoine Armand, at the National Assembly, in Paris, October 22, 2024. STÉPHANIE LECOCQ / REUTERS
After the Senate’s reduction of reductions in employer contributions in the Social Security budget (PLFSS), the Minister of the Economy, Antoine Armand, warns of the temptation to want to tax businesses more.
These latter “must not be the adjustment variable”he warns in an interview with Parisian, published Wednesday, November 20 in the evening.
The removal of reductions in charges, even reduced to 3 billion euros by the Senate on Tuesday evening – compared to 4 billion in the initial text of the Social Security budget project (PLFSS) – displeases businesses and the Macronist camp, because they appear to go against the policy of sustained supply almost without fail since 2017.
“My political family carries a message: it is not by bludgeoning businesses and increasing labor costs that we create jobs and growth”remarks Mr. Armand. “The EPR group [Ensemble pour la République] is right to insist: we must go as far as possible to preserve contribution reductions”he continues, adding: “Be careful of the excess tax! »while the idea of an increase in the mobility payment, an employer contribution to the financing of public transport, is looming.
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“I am Michel Barnier’s minister and above all I belong to the Ensemble pour la République family. Let’s stop being afraid of words: we are in a coalition. This means that political forces that don’t agree on everything work together.”he adds in particular about the sticking points between Michel Barnier and the EPR deputies.
A “fair and responsible” interview, judge Gabriel Attal
These remarks sparked a chorus of praise from the latter, and particularly from their president, Gabriel Attal, who, on the X platform, judges the interview with Mr. Armand “fair and responsible”. With the deputies of the EPR group, “we continue to defend the competitiveness of our economy in the service of employment. Alternative paths to increasing charges exist. Thank you to the Prime Minister and the government for listening, the work continues with them”assures the former tenant of Matignon.
Mr. Attal republished at the same time another message on X from the group of EPR deputies, who welcomed the interview just after its publication, arguing that “we cannot take the risk of increasing labor costs”.
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In the interview, Mr. Armand judges «irresponsible» All “pseudo-blackmail into resignation”in case his requests are not heard, and recalls that Mr. Barnier “has always opened the door to adjustments in return for savings proposals”.
The risk of the motion of censure
Among these possible savings, he mentions the tightening of unemployment insurance conditions, already proposed in the spring. He recalls that he is in favor of “a debate on working time”has “touching the lifestyle of the State”or medical transport by taxi, “which costs Health Insurance 3 billion euros per year. Or 50,000 euros per year per taxi”.
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He seems to hope that the motion of censure which would result from recourse to article 49.3 of the Constitution by the government on the budget would not be adopted, while Marine Le Pen is currently threatening to join it. “How could the French understand that oppositions who share almost nothing would nevertheless vote together on a motion of censure, effectively putting France without a budget and without a government on Christmas Eve? »he asks himself.
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Questioned about the president of the deputies of the Les Républicains party (the Republican Right group), Laurent Wauquiez, who regularly irritates the EPR group, Antoine Armand judges that the political situation “is too new to have any qualms. If sometimes some people have methods, postures or positions that provoke a reaction, let’s not fall into the trap”.
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How does Minister Antoine Armand plan to balance public transport funding with his concerns about increasing labour costs for businesses?
**Interview with Antoine Armand, Minister of Economy**
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Minister Armand. In your recent interview with *Le Parisien*, you expressed concerns about increasing labour costs for businesses. Could you elaborate on why you believe this is detrimental to job creation and economic growth?
**Antoine Armand:** Absolutely. As I mentioned, it is not by burdening businesses with higher taxes and costs that we foster job creation and economic growth. My political family, the EPR (Ensemble pour la République), stands firmly on the principle that we must protect our employers from excessive taxation. They should not be seen as the adjustment variable in our budget.
**Interviewer:** You also mentioned the importance of preserving contribution reductions. Why is this a priority for you and your party?
**Antoine Armand:** The EPR group emphasizes that maintaining contribution reductions is vital for the competitiveness of our economy. We believe that allowing businesses to reinvest in their operations, rather than burdening them with more taxes, will lead to sustainable job growth and economic resilience. Excessive taxation risks stifling innovation and expansion.
**Interviewer:** There’s been talk about possibly increasing the mobility payment to support public transport. How do you reconcile this with your stance on not increasing labour costs?
**Antoine Armand:** That’s a delicate balance. While we support initiatives to finance public transport, any changes must be carefully considered to avoid placing additional financial pressure on employers and employees. The discussion is ongoing, and we must explore all avenues to ensure that adjustments are made without adversely affecting job creation.
**Interviewer:** You highlighted the coalition nature of the current government. How do you address the differences between coalition partners, particularly in regards to economic policies?
**Antoine Armand:** Yes, coalition governance means working with political forces that may not share the same views on every issue. It’s crucial to have open dialogues about our priorities. While some disagreements may exist, our mutual goal is to create a stable and prosperous economic environment. It’s all about finding common ground for the greater good.
**Interviewer:** Lastly, you referred to some forms of dissent as “irresponsible.” Can you clarify what you meant by that?
**Antoine Armand:** Certainly. In the interview, I referred to calls for resignation or drastic measures as pseudo-blackmail. We must approach policy changes with constructive dialog rather than threats. Constructive engagement can lead to solutions that benefit our economy without resorting to divisive tactics.
**Interviewer:** Thank you for your insights, Minister Armand. We look forward to seeing how these discussions develop in the coming months.
**Antoine Armand:** Thank you for having me. It’s important that we continue to engage in these conversations for the betterment of our economy and society.
