From Monday, the French parliament will debate two bills presented by the government, aimed at shielding the least well-off from the impact of inflation. In the light of last week's setback for the presidential party on the question of health regulations, discussions are likely to be troubled.
Spending power is still the big issue in French politics.
Having dominated both the presidential and parliamentary election campaigns earlier this year, the question of how to help French consumers, especially the poorer ones, make ends meet, arrives this Monday before parliament.
Last week's effective defeat of the government by an unlikely alliance of left-wingers, Greens, Republicans and the extreme right, on the legal means to continue the fight against the Covid epidemic, would seem to indicate that the opposition forces are more concerned with embarrassing the government than with enacting viable legislation.
On Monday, the French National Assembly will begin the consideration of a 20-proposition bill, described by the government as "an emergency package to protect spending power".
The opposition have already proposed more than 1,100 amendments, submitted in less than 48 hours, suggesting a certain lack of concertation between the anti-government forces.
The deputies will, later in the week, examine the budget rectification measures proposed by the government to finance the spending power provisions.
The total cost of the propositions is estimated at 20 billion euros.
Neither debate is likely to be smooth.
Wide range of government proposals
The principal proposals include a 4 percent boost for retirement pensions, and a 3.5 percent wage hike for public employees.
The very poorest families will receive food cheques worth 100 euros, with a 50-euro bonus for each dependant child. Energy prices are to remain capped, and the government subvention of 18 centimes on each litre of petrol is to be maintained. It is also proposed to abolish the television licence fee.
Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire insists that the government is open to discussion and compromise.
Speaking on a news talk show on Monday morning, Le Maire said he had been in contact with the socialists, the ecologists and,"evidently," with the mainstream right-wing Republicans.
"The door is wide open to compromise propositions from the other political forces in the National Assembly," Le Maire insisted.
One opposition figure, the Republican MP Véronique Louwagie, says the government is continuing to act as if they had an absolute majority. "They think they can get us to support a vast package of proposals by offering us a few crumbs."
The republican right have notably asked the government to reduce the state's tax share on petrol sales to bring the pump price down. The authorities say such a move would be suicidal, representing a loss of 50 billion euros in revenue.
The left-wing/Green alliance has made it clear that they will contest every measure seen as a quick fix, insisting that across-the-board salary increases are the only lasting solution to a situation which the left considers to be "structural" rather than "temporary".
