Faced with the proposals from the Minister of Labor aimed at taxing the wealthiest retirees to finance social protection, the Minister of the Economy, Éric Lombard, clarified the government's position: no tax increase for households or for retirees. This decision is part of the desire to preserve purchasing power, despite debates on the means to guarantee balanced public finances.
Retirees will not face tax increases
Éric Lombard, Minister of the Economy, firmly rejected the proposal of the Minister of Labor, Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet, aimed at establishing a contribution from the wealthiest retirees to finance social protection. In an interview given to Echoeshe declared: “ The government's position is unambiguous: no new taxes on households! “. This declaration echoes the priorities displayed for the 2025 budget, which plans to preserve the income of 18 million French people thanks to the indexation of the income tax scale.
This course of action was confirmed by Sophie Primas, government spokesperson, during an intervention on BFMTV. According to her, “ there will be no additional contribution for the middle classes, nor provision for retirees in the 2025 budget “. A way of disavowing the words of Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet, who had mentioned the day before a measure aimed at “ 40% of retirees able to contribute », for a potential gain of 800 million euros.
Work more to finance social protection
Beyond the question of retirees, the debate on the financing of social protection remains central. Éric Lombard mentioned another option proposed by Catherine Vautrin, Minister of Health and Labor: increasing the annual working time of active workers by seven hours, without additional remuneration. This measure, according to estimates, could bring in 2.5 billion euros per year. “ The track is launched, and we are awaiting reactions from political groups and social partners », Specified the Minister of the Economy.
Despite the criticism that these proposals could generate, Éric Lombard stressed their necessity to preserve the French social model. “ To preserve our social protection model, we must, in one way or another, work more “, he concluded.
-Thus, between the desire not to increase taxation and the search for new resources, the government is striving to reconcile budgetary balance and maintaining purchasing power. Debates on these subjects promise to intensify in the months to come, as the review of the 2025 budget approaches.
A reaction? Leave a comment
Did you like this article? Subscribe to our free Newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content and the latest news.
