Royalty, a debate on independence of public media

MPs must examine on Saturday, in the National Assembly, the abolition or the reform of this tax funding Radio France, France Télévisions, Arte, L’IA and TV5 world.

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We have been unions, employees, and public audiovisual bosses for weeks. In the newspapers, the stands have continued to rain to oppose the abolition of the contribution to the public audiovisual. The future of this tax which finances France Télévisions, Radio France, TV5 Monde (RFI and France 24), the INA and Arte was to be discussed on Saturday July 23 in the National Assembly. At a time when we write these lines, the vote had not taken place.

Faced with the lifting of shields, the government has partially renounced this campaign promise by Emmanuel Macron, saying that he is ready to support an alternative carried by his majority, which would consist in replacing the royalty with a sample on VAT . “We cannot make more solid and lasting revenues,” justified the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, during the general discussion Friday July 22.

Sign of their rallying to this option, Horizons, Udi and the Republicans had deposited amendments in this direction. The national rally, it is favorable to the abolition of the royalty, but wishes in stride privatize France Télévisions and Radio France. The new Popular Ecologist and Social Popular Union (Nuts) is united to oppose the disappearance of this contribution. Tardively, rebellious France has made a gesture, suggesting to finance public audiovisual by “a specific VAT on luxury products”.

A VAT direct debit would have the advantage of isolating the resources allocated to the public audiovisual of the general state budget. The affected tax system would be preserved, and with it a form of guarantee of resources, necessary to maintain the independence of television and radio channels of public audiovisual.

Furthermore, the pure and simple abolition of the fee received a risk of unconstitutionality, as was raised by the General Inspectorate of Finance and the General Inspectorate of Cultural Affairs on July 13. “It is not certain that we completely spread the risk before the Constitutional Council,” warns MP Céline Calvez (Renaissance), for whom this new device “will not be easier to explain to the French, who already do not understand well what the royalty finances. The public audiovisual deserves a real public debate “.

half-slicing

remains to know the sums that will be allocated. In 2020, the royalty had brought in 3.1 billion euros, and the State had added 653 million euros to compensate for the VAT exemption from 5 million households, a total of 3.8 billion of euros. For 2022, public audiovisual companies should not have to worry.

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/Media reports.