On the left the debate also continues to rage

Despite criticism from the left and doubts that emerge on the right, the Government maintains its willingness to introduce the carbon tax in the Bill of finance 2010. "The President of the Republic is very determined and does not include the positioning of the left, who had signed the ecological Pact of Nicolas Hulot" indicates his entourage, who does not see the difference between the currently proposed carbon tax and desired by the PS. A meeting of Ministers is scheduled Friday to further refine the contours of the measure. In the meantime, Nicolas Sarkozy should especially meet the Secretary national Greens, Cécile Duflot and MEP of Europe ecology, Jean-Paul Besset, tomorrow to discuss compensation in favour of the household.

It is the subject that mobilizes all departments. The level of contribution appears to him, stabilized: "It will be surely around 15 euros" per tonne of CO emitted, or about 3 cents per litre of fuel, Eric Woerth, on RMC Info confirmed yesterday. This represents some 4 billion euros, half for households, half for companies.

Receive no compensation, said the Minister of the Budget: "On their already makes across the professional tax, a very bad tax that it removes" (see page 3). On households, it remains therefore approximately 2 billion euros to redistribute, which does little to take measures to the massive time and benefiting the greatest number.

Reduction of wage costs

If targeted aid are envisaged for the biggest losers (those forced to heating with fuel oil, including), something is safe, and the most disadvantaged, the major part of the recipe would be devoted to a redistribution more global and not linked to energy consumption. "Can either be green cheques take advantage to reduce existing taxes or lower social contributions", said a government source.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister, François Fillon, rejected the idea of a decline in the CSG citing rather a reduction in wage costs: "we decrease the tax on labour and investment and we replace the pollution and the environment."

The trail of an income tax credit is also studied. "To be that people see" what is redistributed, said Eric Woerth, for which compensation might appear "the same year on tax or salary sheet".The Executive recognizes nevertheless that it is quite difficult to integrate the area of housing or working in staggered schedules (which requires to take his car).

Hulot and silent Borloo

On the merits, some to the Government, do not include the silence of Nicolas Hulot or of Jean-Louis Borloo. "Sometimes it is better to stay quiet and advance ideas.". "Today, Bercy accept full compensation for the climate-energy to the public contribution, which was not the case in early summer", notes the entourage of the Minister of ecology, which insists that the number one goal is to find a device simple, understandable by all. Right, the MP UMP Christian Jacob, new President of the commission on sustainable development of the National Assembly, insists on the need to speak of climate-energy contribution, and non-tax, and the fact that this contribution must not become a further recipe for the State. "The parliamentary debate will be moderated, we are preparing our proposals on compensation," he added. Behind the scenes, some phenomenon right on the embarrassment of Jean-Louis Borloo to associate his name with a new tax, remembering the failure of the "picnic tax".

On the left, the debate also continues to rage. The positions taken by unexpected of Ségolène Royal have blurred the message to the PS. In an interview with the "voices" (read below), Martine Aubry is working to clarify the position of the party, recalling that it is fully conducive to the establishment of a carbon tax and even higher than that envisaged by the Government.