Inflation: Gabriel Attal announces extension of price shield in 2023

“We will block at a certain level of increase,” said the Minister Deputy Public Accounts, Saturday on France Inter, adding that “final arbitrations must be returned in the coming days”.

Le Monde

The Minister Delegate Public Accounts, Gabriel Attal, announced on Saturday September 3 on France Inter , that the government was going to” maintain a shield system in 2023 “to cope with the outbreak of energy prices. “We will continue to protect the French and their purchasing power,” added the minister.

In place since the fall of 2021, this set of measures made it possible to alleviate the impact of inflation on households: the freezing of regulated gas prices at their level of October 2021; the cap in the increase in regulated electricity sales prices, which resulted in an increase of only 4 % over the year; Finally, the delivery to the pump, which passes this Thursday from 18 to 30 cents per liter.

“Without the price shield, l ‘increase in gas and electricity prices would be at least 100 % next year! From 120 euros on average per month per household, “assured the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, Thursday in Les Echos .

“Arbitrations rendered in the coming days”

According to an INSEE study published Thursday, the “price shield” measures taken by the government made it possible to halve the effect of the flambé of energy prices on inflation.

Between the second quarter of 2021 and the second quarter of 2022, a period referred to in the study, “the increase in energy prices (gas, electricity and petroleum products) contributed to 3.1 inflation points on a total of 5.3 % “, according to the National Institute of Statistics. Without these measures, “inflation between the second quarters of 2021 and 2022 would have been 3.1 higher points”.

“We will block at a certain level of increase,” said Gabriel Attal, adding that “final arbitrations must be returned in the coming days”. “But we will maintain a protective system [for fellow citizens] and for purchasing power,” he added. However, the Minister underlined:

“Speaking without counting, at the end is taxing to repay, and that, we want to avoid it to the French, so we have gone from” whatever it costs “to” how much it costs “. is obliged to make arbitrations and make decisions which, when they are expensive for public finances, must be as effective as possible, which does not mean that there cannot be a share of effort. “

/Media reports.