Against the advice of the government, the National Assembly adopted Thursday in second reading a text to “protect EDF from dismemberment”, which also intends to expand the number of companies and communities benefiting from regulated electricity rates.
In a tense atmosphere, the proposed law, carried by the left and supported by the right and RN, was validated by 127 votes against 89, and one abstention. The vote was held after long hours of debate and a series of adjournments, perceived by the left as “maneuvers” and attempts to “obstruct” the presidential camp.
The text had already been adopted once by the Assembly and then the Senate. However, the upper house had deleted its article 1, which was supposed to allow the“nationalization” to be written into the law of EDF”. “The word does not appear there any more but that does not change absolutely nothing”, affirmed Thursday the deputy PS Philippe Brun, author of the text examined during a “niche” of the communist group. The Senate, dominated by the right, has however proposed to fix in the law the fact that EDF is a limited company “of national interest”, whose capital is “held at 100% by the State”, which the Assembly has kept.
However, an amendment by Philippe Brun provides for the opening of at least “1.50%” of the capital to employees and certain former employees. The government argues that it is already leading a nationalization of EDF, the state holding at this stage “96% of the capital”, according to the Minister of Industry Roland Lescure. The takeover bid is to be finalized after a favorable decision by the Paris Court of Appeal on Tuesday. P
hilippe Brun, like his Communist co-rapporteur Sébastien Jumel, also insisted on including in the law a list of “missions” performed by EDF: generation, transmission, distribution…
Their goal: to prevent the executive from resurrecting “Hercules”, a controversial restructuring project. “Hercules is dead and buried”, Roland Lescure repeated. “Why are you afraid to write it into law?” retorted Patrick Hetzel (LR). The majority and the minister argue that this list of missions risks creating a heavy burden on EDF’s management, or even preventing future restructuring. “It is an article that restricts EDF’s activity,” criticized Jean-René Cazeneuve (Renaissance), which Philippe Brun refuted.
Concerning the regulated tariffs for the sale of electricity, the deputies have extended the benefit to SMEs, while the Senate had restricted it to VSEs, including craft bakers. Mr. Lescure spoke out against the cost of the measure, of 11 billion euros, underlining the aid in place. The deputies have also added among the beneficiaries the communities of less than 50,000 inhabitants, on the proposal of LR. The parliamentary shuttle must continue with the Senate, and the left hopes for a quick vote.
