What is the price of democracy? For the early legislative elections of June 30 and July 7, the bill is already more or less known. Between the expenses that must be reimbursed to the candidates, the social plan in the National Assembly and some other charges, the dissolution decided by Emmanuel Macron in June will cost the State at least 195 million euros. This represents approximately four euros per person registered on the electoral lists. This is indicated by the first elements available within the framework of the current budget debates. A sum to which are added the more vague amounts that municipalities must pay: tens of millions of euros in any case.
“Two hundred million is the order of magnitude of the cost of a dissolution as a general rule, analyzes the centrist deputy Charles de Courson, budget rapporteur of the National Assembly. Once the President of the Republic has made his decision, the cost does not matter. This remains a prerogative of the Constitution. It is not because of the dissolution that France will have a deficit of 170 billion euros this year. »
For the state budget itself, the cost of the legislative elections is estimated at 166 million euros, it indicates World the Ministry of the Interior. An endowment equivalent to the 164 million euros recorded in the previous legislative elections, in 2022, although this time the campaign was much shorter and the number of candidates has decreased by 36% in two years.
A kind of massive social plan
A portion will be funded from the 2024 budget, which will be revised accordingly. Within the framework of the end of administration bill that has just been sent to Parliament, it is planned to open commitment authorizations worth 124.5 million euros “for expenses linked to early legislative elections.” The rest (41.5 million) will be allocated to the 2025 budget, “because certain expenses will be incurred” after December 31, the Ministry of the Interior specifies: “For example, some campaign refunds could be postponed.”
In fact, these 166 million euros mainly refer to the reimbursement of part of the costs borne by legislative candidates. Those who have received at least 5% of the votes cast will be entitled to receive public assistance. During previous legislative elections, candidates were reimbursed on average between 70% and 75% of their expenses.
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