Olivier Faure, First Secretary of the Socialist Party and a candidate in the Socialist primary, recently criticized former President François Hollande during an interview with BFMTV-RMC on Monday, September 7. Faure made it clear he did not join the Socialist Party (PS) to support François Fillon’s policies, specifically referencing Fillon’s proposal to introduce a social VAT. This tax would have applied to certain services and luxury goods, aiming to fund social programs. Faure responded to Hollande’s proposal to increase the VAT from 20% to 24% while offering a zero rate on energy and essential products. He called the measure harmful to the purchasing power of the French, arguing that the reduced VAT on some goods would not be offset by higher rates on others. As a result, he claimed, consumers would still feel the impact of the change, with no real relief in their overall spending. Faure also criticized Hollande’s idea of increasing net wages by reducing payroll contributions. He expressed confusion with the logic behind this approach, stating it delayed wage growth and was not entirely useless, as it provided funds for life accidents or retirement. Instead, Faure suggested taxing the capital captured by shareholders, proposing profit-sharing, employee participation in company profits, or higher wages. He argued that for every euro given as a dividend to shareholders, at least one euro should be returned to employees. Faure’s comments reflect a broader debate within the Socialist Party about how to address economic challenges while protecting workers and ensuring fair distribution of wealth. His proposals aim to shift the focus from reducing employer contributions to directly taxing corporate profits and ensuring that employees benefit from economic growth.