The voting time is coming and crypto-holders (ever more numerous) can now wonder what is going on with the program concerning cryptocurrencies..
In general, when we talk about crypto programs, we are only interested in taxation and taxes. However, there can (and must?) be other things such as incentives, or even subsidies granted to companies that innovate in this sector.
A quick overview of the programs of the 2022 presidential candidates.
To write this article, we relied on the article published on the ZoneBourse newspaper , which was able to interview the candidates regarding their programs on cryptocurrencies.
Also, we wanted to go further than the (light) crypto program of the candidates...And what if, deep down, we shouldn't rather "get moving" before asking politicians to do it?
Emmanuel Macron
For his first election, Emmanuel Macron very quickly sought to appeal to entrepreneurs and start-ups. We remember his "start-up nation" campaign and his meetings at The Family with Oussama Ammar, for example…
Even if he was open with start-ups, he was less open with companies in the blockchain sector…
Indeed, regarding crypto, the president has taken tax measures that are unattractive for crypto holders. In any case, France, along with Spain, is the country with the greatest taxation on cryptos. Neighboring European countries such as Portugal, the United Kingdom and recently Slovenia (5% tax) on the contrary seem more able to welcome future blockchain companies.
For his current program, the president mentioned the idea of creating a " European metaverse "... which would aim to dethrone the Facebook metaverse... Grand ideas and grand ambitions that clearly demonstrate how little the LREM (Macron's party) communications team understands the mountain of groundwork that needs to be done before even considering creating such a "project"...
In any case, it has the merit of “getting people talking”, as they say.
Laws are currently in progress to possibly reduce taxation for NFT holders…Other than that, nothing new under the sun…
Jean-Luc Mélenchon
There was a lot of talk about Jean-Luc Mélenchon's meeting because it was the most futuristic ever held in France. A giant hologram of the candidate with a live broadcast in several cities. Olfactory sensors were even activated so that participants had a real sensory experience.
Finally, with this meeting, Jean-Luc Mélenchon showed himself to be the most "modernist" of all the candidates.
Regarding cryptocurrencies, the La France Insoumise party doesn't have a specific crypto program. However, ZoneBourse lists the following statement: " We do not consider blockchain to be a technology that offers solutions to today's major challenges ."
As with many other candidates, the candidate wants to focus on cyber-crime issues and create a software book agency. He would like to boost the cloud sector in France and be more competitive in this sector.
Anne Hidalgo
Let's now turn to Anne Hidalgo. The party has published the " Digital Manifesto " which shows a clear commitment to the development of cryptocurrency.
It is therefore the first party for this election where we clearly see a program for cryptocurrencies. The idea is to create financing bodies for investors, close to what the BPI does with French companies.
Anne Hidalgo would also like to harmonize the European regulatory framework for the management of crypto assets and make France a competitive market in this sector.
Close to Macron's idea of opening up computer programming in schools, Anne Hidalgo would like to emphasize training in new skills such as programming and cybersecurity.
—>Read and/or download Hidalgo's Manifesto here.
Eric Zemmour
In February, Zemmour caused a stir on Twitter by visiting the offices of Ledger (one of the few French companies with an international presence). He declared that it was necessary to support the promising sector of cryptocurrencies.
Many have accused him of using cryptocurrencies for election purposes. Indeed, the libertarian philosophy behind the creation of Bitcoin is the opposite of the philosophy of the far right. The withdrawal into oneself and the fantasy of closed borders specific to thinkers of the extreme right adapt poorly to the very architecture of cryptocurrencies which do not know borders...
>>On the subject of Zemmour, politics and cryptocurrencies, read the article from our colleagues at Journal du Coin here.
The Reconquest Party would like to exempt capital gains tax if 50% of it is reinvested in the capital of a "real" company. One may wonder what "real" means...?
The party plans to create a special regime for NFT collectors and to classify NFTs as classic works of art with the tax treatment specific to this asset class. Zemmour would also like to push for the creation of a European stablecoin .
Opinion: It seems that many crypto enthusiasts will vote for Eric Zemmour… It is difficult to imagine in this scenario that this will attract “foreign” experts and international companies to open up to the French market… Indeed, let us not forget that from a technological point of view, know-how is found more in Asia and America than in Europe…
Valerie Pécresse
Valérie Pécresse, the candidate for the Les Républicains party, would like to boost the crypto industry. His party would like to create clean legislation adapted to a European law on crypto-assets.
Like many candidates, Valérie Pécresse would like to increase research in terms of cybercrime.
The presidential candidates' program reflects the little use of cryptos in France
We have not mentioned the programs of Nathalie Arthaud or Philippe Poutou for the simple reason that there is no program at all.
We could, of course, talk about other candidates like Marine Le Pen or Yannick Jadot. The latter has expressed his doubts about Bitcoin's energy consumption . He would therefore like to limit investment in cryptocurrencies, while Marine Le Pen would like to regulate it.
Both are more interested, like the other candidates, in cybercrime.
In fact, what comes up most often in the programs is "cybercrime." This says a lot about the view that politicians, and especially the French public in general, have of cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies still frighten the general public, and their image is still linked to cybercrime and hacker attacks…
It was an image that could be understood a few years ago when Bitcoin was still mainly traded on dark web sites like Silk Road … But in 2022, it is an outdated, not to say retrograde, thought.
The sector has evolved enormously. Many French people have invested in cryptocurrencies and others will follow them in what seems to be the natural march of financial history...
Do not expect from politicians what should come from the people...
In short, it seems that today France doesn't need to rely so heavily on political support to establish a strong foothold in the crypto ecosystem. This needs to come from the ground up (a bottom-up approach, as they say in political science jargon). Nothing prevents French citizens from creating crypto companies right now. On the contrary, the country has a solid infrastructure for doing so.
Politicians will be interested in cryptocurrencies if they see that the people are interested in them. It's naive to think otherwise.
We need to have crypto engineers, entrepreneurs with strong ambition (not just salespeople) and personalities capable of designing blockchain technologies. It has to come from the people before it comes from the politicians.
If in the USA, the mayors of Miami or New York have come to launch projects as ambitious as CityCoin , it is because it first came from the people.
It is with this state of mind that France will be able to distinguish itself in this race towards progress that it seems not to want to take...
- Read more the ZoneBourse article
- To learn more about the candidates' programs.
This article is an opinion freely expressed by a Zonebitcoin editor. Everyone is free, of course, to form their own opinion and vote for whoever they wish.
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