The energy crisis weighs on the “greening” of the 2023 budget

“There were a lot of expenses for the gas bill”. The Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, had to admit it on Monday: France’s budget for next year “leans a little too much on the side of fossil fuels”. The tariff shield on gas and electricity put in place by the government to limit the impact of soaring prices on the wallets of the French seriously undermines the promised “greening” of public finances.

Bercy estimates the cost of this energy shield at 16 billion euros: 11 billion for gas and 5 billion for electricity. Around 12 billion euros in credits will be mobilized in particular from the budget of the Ministry of Energy Transition to continue to finance this shield in 2023. But the sum could be subject to change. The government warned on Monday that this forecast “remains subject to significant uncertainty in view of the very high market volatility”.