The National Assembly decided, Wednesday January 24, to increase the advance of mandate expenses (AFM) of deputies by a little more than 300 euros per month, citing inflation. The decision to increase the AFM from 5,645 euros to 5,950 euros (+ 5.4%) per month was taken by the office of the Assembly, the highest body of the institution, with the support of all political groups present during the vote, except for La France insoumise (LFI) which abstained.
Socialist Valérie Rabault, absent during the vote, had previously expressed her reservations, she told Agence France-Presse. “I said it wasn’t a good signal”assured Ms. Rabault. “There was a long debate and I too indicated that, given the purchasing power difficulties encountered by the French, this increase in the envelope for mandate fees was inappropriate”she insisted on Wednesday evening.
” The meeting [précédant le vote] was very late and [Mme Rabault] had an obligation late in the morning”said a socialist deputy has Release. The latter also assured the daily that the PS group would not have voted in favor of this increase if one of its representatives had been present.
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This decision “aims to respond to the rising prices faced by MPs in the exercise of their mandate. As a reminder, the AFM is not remuneration for deputies: it is an allocation allowing them to pay for their parliamentary permanence, their travel, their accommodation and documentation costs., reception or representation, underlines the office of the Assembly in a press release. These expenses have been controlled since 2018 and unused sums must be returned to the Assembly treasury.
“Three hundred euros more for deputies? This is the monthly income of a third of farmers! »reacted the “rebellious” François Ruffin, Thursday, on RMCin full revolt of the farmers. “These 300 euros, I will pay to Solidarité Paysans, which provides help to their colleagues in difficulty”he said, although such donations are not included in eligible expenses under mandate fees.
The RN supports the increase… before asking for its postponement
After having approved it on Wednesday, the National Rally (RN) asked, Thursday, to « reporter sine die » this increase, recognizing that this decision had prompted “a certain emotion (…) in a period when the purchasing power of many French people is very degraded”. In a press releasethe RN vice-presidents of the National Assembly, Hélène Laporte and Sébastien Chenu, justify their vote by explaining that this increase had been presented to them “as an almost automatic compensation for inflation”. “It seems inappropriate to us to make this decision”repeated, Thursday, the leader of the RN deputies, Marine Le Pen, during her greetings to the press.
“Everyone voted for”declared Thursday the President of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, during her greetings to the press, castigating these “deputies who vote and the next day issue a press release” or “who abstain and now run to 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.
“This is not an increase in the remuneration of parliamentarians”more “an increase in the ceiling of our expenses which allows us to fully exercise our mandate and meet the expectations of our fellow citizens”, insisted Ms. Braun-Pivet. This money “obviously comes from our reserves, we do not finance it by an increase in the allocation”she added, ensuring that there was control « strict » spending.
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On Wednesday, deputies also extended the AFM to cover childcare, provided that they do not request tax deductions at the same time.
The AFM, which is added to the remuneration of elected officials – 7,637 euros gross per month – replaced the controversial representative compensation for mandate expenses (IRFM), an envelope whose use was not verified and which gave gives rise to deviations.
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Among the parliamentary collaborators’ unions, the UNSA criticized the increase voted by the deputies. “The Union of Parliamentary Collaborators UNSA denounces this decision which is [su]returned while the Assembly refuses, on the grounds that it would cost too much for the institution, to increase the employee credit »reacted the union.
“Currently 11,118 euros per month, this envelope is used to pay the deputies’ teams”, “generally made up of three employees” and can “count to five”he recalled. “It is high time that the authorities of the National Assembly fully consider the working conditions of parliamentary collaborators”some of whom “are paid part-time at minimum wage level”.
