The companies will provide the other half

Increase the premium for the job, opportunity to companies to create a transportation for employees check funded half by the State, convening of a Conference on incomes and employment: these are three major announcements, yesterday by the Prime Minister, Dominique de Villepin, at the "20 hours" of TF1. The Government is releasing an additional envelope of EUR 500 million for the premium for the job next year, adding to the 500 million already appropriated for 2007 in the 2006 budget. Claimed by Pierre Méhaignerie, President of the National Assembly Finance Committee, this therefore gesture will in 2007 the EPP, for example, a single to the SMIC, 940 euros instead of the initially planned EUR 809. This represents a doubling of the amount of the EPP since 1995.

The EPP is a tax credit now paid 9 million low income earners to make recovery more incentive. The gesture is symbolically much stronger that the Government had not planned to spend more than 500 million euros, total, all of the new tax measures in the budget 2007.

Moreover, the Prime Minister confirmed the creation, on 1 January 2007, a "cheque transport" optional, for all employees and that will work, he said, "as the restaurant cheque". Companies will be encouraged to implement this cheque by social and tax exemptions. The State will provide half of funding, in the amount of 200 euros there where exist collective transport, 100 euros elsewhere. According to our information, the cost is estimated at EUR 10 million for 100,000 people. The companies will provide the other half. Some 300,000 to 400,000 people may be concerned the first year.

Under the sign of the action

Finally, the Prime Minister has announced "before the end of the year" a Conference on incomes and employment, to meet, inter alia, the claims on the purchasing power, in a context of strengthened growth and decrease of unemployment. It will rely on the annual report of the Council of employment, income and social cohesion, chaired by Jacques Delors.

Strong ads yesterday evening, after those on the allocation of student installation (300 euros for stock 80,000) and before that of the third phase of the Borloo plan, Thursday: presidential year or not, Dominique de Villepin made his re-entry, as Jacques Chirac (read page 6), under the sign of the action, or even activism. It will still participate in Sallanches, to the national Council of the mountain, and will be Thursday a Government seminar. Politically, the Prime Minister seems more in State rival Nicolas Sarkozy for the presidential election, but this does not lead to renounce his place. Stagnation prevailing election years is no longer possible since the reform of the quinquennium, considers: "How could the French understand that are going on five year to do nothing"

Especially, in a few weeks, the economic and political climate has changed dramatically. The thrill is felt on employment and growth sufficiently settled for talking about positive trend that Nicolas Sarkozy himself welcomed and dry more praise on the policy of the Government up. Dominique de Villepin resumed since mid-July the air in the polls, convinced that this is in part to the results obtained on the national scene. "The general feeling is that the France machine is given in March," analyze his relatives, that "our methods pay" and should therefore continue the movement. "We have good results, he stressed yesterday.

Remain essential to the right

If employment remains the top priority, it means "walking on two legs", i.e. fight for equality of chances it was the subject of his speech, last Thursday, before the Presidents of the Academy and stimulate growth. On purchasing power measures announced last night involved, giving the sense that we take care of their daily lives, as Dominique de Villepin is set to French.

If it is no longer in direct rivalry with Nicolas Sarkozy, the Prime Minister wants to remain a key figure of the right, does weigh on the project that the UMP will stand up to the voters in eight months. "I want to be in action until the last day, allowing the French to inform their choices for the election", he insisted.