Speaking at the Republicans’ summer school, MP Eric Woerth proposed that owners of second homes can vote in municipal elections in their two places of life.
The LR deputy for Oise justifies his proposal by explaining that the owners of second homes “will be the only ones to pay the housing tax”. According to him, such a measure would “strengthen democracy” by making “evolve our modes of participation”.
I propose to study the opportunity for the owners of secondary residences who will be the only ones to pay the housing tax to vote in the municipal elections on their 2 places of life.
Strengthening democracy also means changing our modes of participation pic.twitter.com/C2dnviA2Wb
– Eric Woerth (@ericwoerth) August 28, 2021
The proposal immediately provoked outrage among many political figures, especially on the left. For the deputy Matthieu Orphelin, this proposal amounts to “allowing the richest to vote twice”. “The Republicans and Eric Woerth in great shape in this return, with new ideas to rebuild democracy,” he quipped on Twitter.
“AND WITH A POOL, IT COUNTS TRIPLE?”
Maude Bregeon, spokesperson for LREM, also reacted with humor: “Good idea, we could also withdraw the right to vote from young people and tenants while we’re at it.” LFI MP Clémentine Autain also shared her outraged reaction on social networks: “And with a swimming pool, does that count triple?”
Many observers have denounced a return to censal suffrage and a breach of the equality of citizens before the suffrage.
A desire to fight against the surcharge on second homes
According to Le Figaro, the idea would have already been put forward a year ago by the liberal think-tank iFrap, in a desire to fight against the surcharge for owners of second homes.
The newspaper also recalls that, for the time being, some owners of main residences still pay housing tax. It is only in 2023 that no household will pay housing tax on its main residence.
