Economically, France is doing well, according to Bruno Le Maire. In Le Figaro on Monday, the Minister of the Economy was optimistic about growth for the coming year, despite the comeback of the Covid-19 and the restrictions that have been imposed in recent days. In particular because the government had foreseen the coup. “We have 2021 budget credits left for the emergency mission”, which will help finance aid to sectors affected by these new rules, explained the tenant of Bercy in the daily. However, he clarified, on RTL on Tuesday, there was no question of reactivating “whatever it costs” but of proposing “aid on a case-by-case basis, targeted” to “a certain number of sectors (which) are encountering difficulties”.
Another reason for the minister to be confident: “we are starting the year with a solid gain of 2.2%”. Enough to make him maintain “our growth forecast for 2022 at 4%”, no offense to Omicron. “Let’s look at what the French economy has been able to do,” he commented on RTL on Tuesday morning. France was “the nation capable of the greatest resistance in economic matters and of rapid recovery,” he continued. “I am convinced of the return of strong, dynamic, rapid growth as soon as the omicron wave has passed”.
The growth of 2021 “will be greater than the 6.25% announced and will give us better tax revenues”, he even congratulated himself in Le Figaro.
The increase in contained energy
An economic health which will have repercussions on the country’s deficit. In 2021, it should be “less than 8%, against 8.2% expected”.
Bruno Le Maire also promised that aid for energy would be maintained. “In 2022, we will continue to protect households and SMEs, particularly industrial ones, against this explosion in energy prices,” he said in the daily. He even assures that the promise, made by Prime Minister Jean Castex, “to cap the increase in electricity prices for individuals at 4% in 2022 will be kept”. To achieve this, the government will rely in particular on a reduction in taxation on electricity consumption. It is also working “with EDF on a complementary solution”, he explains.
Regarding the current Omicron wave, the Minister of the Economy was once again reassuring on RTL: “there is no risk of paralysis at all”, even if there may be ” disorganizations ”. But, according to him, the new isolation rules “will greatly simplify the life of companies”.