The deputies will begin this Monday, October 28 afternoon, the examination of the Social Security budget, after leaving on Saturday evening without having completed the “revenue” part of the State finance bill for 2025 The latter has already undergone numerous modifications, the government not having a majority in the Assembly. The debate will resume on November 5, with some 1,500 amendments still to be discussed. At the same time, the Assembly will begin examining the “expenditure” part of the state budget in the Finance Committee, with Education, Ecology or Justice this week.
As recalled on the website of the Ministry of the Economy and Finance, the finance bill (PLF) proposes all of the State’s revenues and expenditures for the following year (in other words, the budget of the State.) The Social Security financing bill (or Social Security budget) is intended to control Social Security expenditure based on forecasts of State revenue.
Delay in the examination of the PLF
On October 21, the examination of the 2025 finance bill began in the National Assembly, with the first part devoted to revenue. This examination, supposed to end on Friday October 25, was extended for a day on Saturday, but was interrupted because it was not possible to examine the remaining 1,500 amendments. These latest amendments will be debated from November 5, the date on which examination of the second part of the PLF, devoted to expenditure, will begin – but only if the “revenue” part is adopted.
Then, if all goes well, “on November 19, 2024, the National Assembly will take a solemn vote on the entire PLF”, specifies the ministry website.
On the other hand, if the government does not use article 49.3, and the “revenue” part of the PLF is not adopted, the deputies will not be able to vote on expenditure. The entire text will then be sent directly to the Senate for examination.
The Social Security budget from October 28 to November 5
The examination of the 2025 Social Security finance bill begins this Monday, October 28 in the National Assembly, with a vote scheduled for November 5 – before the resumption of debates on the PLF, therefore. The social affairs committee of the hemicycle has already symbolically rejected this text on Friday October 25, which heralds a new difficult debate for the government text. According to AFP, less than 30 hours of debate are planned for 2,200 amendments tabled, while the committee spent 35 hours examining 1,600 amendments.
The two budgets (State and Social Security) will then be sent to the Senate for a new reading. “The parliamentary shuttle between the two chambers will end around December 21, 2024, the deadline set by the Constitution for the adoption of the budget. In the event of persistent disagreement, the National Assembly will have the last word,” underlines the website of the Ministry of Economy.
State finance and social security financing laws must be promulgated by the President of the Republic and published in the Official Journal no later than December 31.