France spends colossal sums on its social benefits. As indicated by the Directorate of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (Drees) in December 2023, the country spent 32.2% of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022, or 848.9 billion euros. For Nathalie Goulet, senator from the centrist Union, « France is a magnet for fraudsters ». “France is the most generous country in the world, it is a magnet for fraudsters”she denounced on CNews Tuesday November 19. According to the senator from Orne, the control system is not up to this amount: « The system is declarative, the control is carried out a posteriori, and often too late to recover undue sums. »
In « a fraud of the “poor”, nor a hunt for immigrants »
In a column published by Current values Sunday November 17, Nathalie Goulet recalled what « tax fraud, social fraud and customs fraud are frauds on public finances ». She also assured that « social fraud is not a fraud of the “poor” nor a hunt for immigrants, but an organized fraud which pillages our too permeable system ». The senator hopes in particular to succeed in « correct by amendments residence fraud which offers us an anthology of creativity on the side of fraudsters and laxity on the side of social organizations ».
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His letter was published on the eve of the examination of the text on the 2025 Budget, which began Monday, November 18 in the Senate. For example, the government wants to reduce the reimbursement rate for medicines and medical consultations or reduce compensation for civil servants on sick leave by introducing a second or even a third waiting day to align with the private sector. It also requires budgetary efforts from local authorities. To pass the State Budget, Michel Barnier does not rule out using article 49-3. According to him, he is ” difficult to do otherwise at the end of the discussion », after the rejection of the text by its right and center supporters in the National Assembly.
