Overseas: Manuel Valls' bill against the high cost of living deemed too timid

The bill against the high cost of living, supported by the Minister for Overseas Territories, Manuel Valls, is expected to be presented at the last Council of Ministers before the summer break, on Wednesday, July 30, while a parliamentary review is expected as soon as the school year begins.

The need for action is undeniable, and over the past twenty years, other texts have attempted remedies without managing to appease the recurring anger of the population on the subject. In the overseas departments, the price gaps with mainland France are enormous: 30% to 42% more expensive on average for food, 9% to 16% more expensive for all goods according to the latest major survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), in 2022. Above all, these differentials, driven by the rise in the price of services, continue to increase.

In January 2025, according to INSEE, consumer prices in Guadeloupe had increased by 3% over one year, compared to an average of 1.7% in France. Similarly, in an opinion issued on July 4, the regional council of La Réunion states that between 2024 and 2025 food prices on the island increased more (+3.1%) than at the national level (+1.2%). Beyond the regular cyclone damage that fuels this increase, "inflationary tensions have become chronic," notes the community led by the left-wing Huguette Bello.

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