the departments led by the right and the center threaten to suspend the payment of the RSA

These departments also warn that they could stop caring for new unaccompanied minors (UMAs) if the government does not reverse the budgetary cuts planned for 2025 for local authorities.

The departments led by the right and the center announced, Thursday, November 14, their intention to suspend the payment of active solidarity income (RSA) on January 1, 2025 and to stop taking care of new unaccompanied minors (UMA) if the government does not reverse the budget cuts planned for 2025. Nicolas Lacroix (LR), president of the group of departments of the right, the center and the independents (DCI) within the Départements de France association, meeting in congress in Angers, made this announcement during a press point, so the finance bill for 2025 provides for an effort of 5 billion euros for communities.

Nicolas Lacroix also plans “to attack the State” in court every time he makes a decision “which impacts the finances of departments without their agreement” and asks the government to suspend the new revaluations planned under Ségur.

In a separate press briefing, the thirty presidents of departments led by the left held up colorful signs explaining the impact of the planned cuts on the lives of the French. “We are also considering mobilizations in our own departments”declared Jean-Luc Gleyze, president of the group of left-wing departments, who plans to put a large tarpaulin on the building of the Gironde department that he chairs, or to demonstrate.

The departments are facing an explosion in their social spending on child protection, assistance for dependent elderly people and people with disabilities, but at the same time are seeing their revenue from real estate transactions decline and are recording less than VAT as expected. If the 2025 budget asks communities for an effort of 5 billion euros, the departments estimate that they are the stratum of communities most impacted, with 44% of the effort, or 2.2 billion euros.