At the initiative of Rudy Salles, who, even though he is no longer a deputy, still retains his influence at the Nice city hall and the metropolis, Charles de Courson, a centrist deputy and Vice-President of the finance commission at the National Assembly, addressed about fifty guests, including some elected officials who bravely defied the bad weather (the “sad weather” as Rudy Salles wanted to point out in his introduction), with his analysis of France’s economic situation and more specifically the purchasing power of the French.
While the analysis was greatly appreciated, the elected official knows his subject in depth, and public finances hold no secrets for him, the recipe to make the French happy (according to polls, 72% report a decline in purchasing power and 84% have no hope of an improvement before the end of the five-year term), the wide excursus could not provide the miracle solution.
Charles de Courson limited himself to expressing a few generic options, such as “the State must be reformed by reducing its expenses to decrease mandatory contributions,” as well as “without growth, there can be no increase in purchasing power, and for that, the competitiveness of French companies must be increased.”
Furthermore, he indicated slightly more precise avenues concerning a key reform of the five-year term, that of pension reform, for which he recommends that there cannot be financially significant effects in terms of cost reduction without addressing the current — apparently untouchable — 62-year age barrier.
Another point related to current events is the ecological transition. In this case, the centrist deputy, while agreeing with the government’s objective, would prefer a more moderate line in government action.
In the end, the question “where is the purchasing power of the French going?” to which a second question could be added, “why do the French feel it is decreasing when, according to INSEE, it is slightly increasing?” remained unanswered.
And yes, the perfect formula of zero tax, excellent public services, and increased purchasing power, the one that would finally make the French happy, has not yet been found.
But, as a beautiful saying goes, …one must not believe in the impossible!
