Restaurant vouchers: Bruno Le Maire believes they can be used for food purchases

Will food vouchers be sustainable? Late on Tuesday, the government announced that it will extend the use of food vouchers for the purchase of food items that are not directly consumed (pasta, rice, etc.) until 2024. “This is not a reversal,” Bruno Le Maire said on CNews this Wednesday, although previously his ministry wanted to end this measure after December 31, 2023.

On the other hand, the ceiling of 25 euros per day, which was increased as part of the same purchasing power law of 2022, will remain unchanged. Change of name, corresponding products… The Minister of Economy wants to “open a discussion” about the effect of food stamps.

“Energy prices will not return to pre-inflationary levels. » Bruno Le Maire also confirmed the upcoming termination of the tariff shield on energy prices. “By 2025, we will gradually exit the energy shield, which costs the state 40 billion euros a year,” he says. Consequence: electricity prices will increase at the beginning of 2024, but “by no more than 10%.” After 2025, the government aims for “consumer price stability” while citing the need for investment.

This Wednesday INSEE also published unemployment results in France. The unemployment rate rose in the third quarter to 7.4% of the active population in France (excluding Mayotte), up from 7.2% in the second quarter. “This is a consequence of the slowdown in Europe and around the world,” explains Bruno Le Maire.

The minister remains committed to reducing the rate to 5% in 2027, in line with the targets set by Emmanuel Macron. “Because of our social model, we will not succeed,” warns Bruno Le Maire. He wants to improve housing conditions to allow employees to be more mobile, speed up training for older people and reform unemployment benefits.