Senators and deputies agreed on Wednesday, November 27, on a compromise concerning the Social Security budget for 2025, paving the way for its adoption without a vote via 49.3, next Monday in the National Assembly.
The text resulting from the joint committee, after more than seven hours of negotiations, notably provides for a reduction in employer contribution reductions, to the tune of 1.6 billion euros, a measure fought to the end by Ensemble pour la République, the main force of the government coalition at the Palais Bourbon, which saw it as a renunciation of seven years of supply-side policy. Stressing that these reductions have soared in recent years, reaching almost 80 billion euros, the government had initially proposed an effort of four billion euros on employers, reduced to three billion euros in the version of the text adopted on Tuesday. in the Senate.
Also adopted in CMP, a measure to increase pensions in 2025 below inflation for more than half of retirees, which the RN firmly opposes. The compromise found between the Republicans and the government, approved by parliamentarians, plans to index pensions to half of inflation from January 1 (+ 0.8%) – with a supplement on July 1 to reach + 1 .6% for pensions below 1,500 euros gross.
Seven extra hours per year without pay rejected
During their debates, they rejected a measure adopted in the Senate aimed at making workers work without pay for seven more hours per year to finance the disability and old age sector. On the other hand, they confirmed the increase in a tax on sugary drinks, but rejected a faster than expected increase in the price of a packet of cigarettes.
The government predicted in its initial copy a deficit in the Social Security budget of sixteen billion euros, which comes out heavier from this parliamentary compromise. Even before the conclusion of the CMP, the president of the Social Affairs Committee at the Assembly, Frédéric Valletoux (Horizons), had spoken to AFP about a “transition budget” which is “neither ambitious nor glorious” . EPR MP Stéphanie Rist spoke of a “balanced and responsible” budget. “The government has created the conditions for its own censorship” said Jérôme Guedj (PS), with environmentalists denouncing a text that was “disingenuous and unfair”. The text of the CMP “is not up to par”, and certain measures “may constitute red lines”, finally judged the RN deputy Christophe Bentz after the meeting.