A last sign of openness before the vote on the Social Security budget in the National Assembly? The government “is committed to ensuring that there will be no delisting of medicines” in 2025, according to a press release from Michel Barnier sent on Monday, thus meeting one of the demands of the National Rally (RN).
Faced with an imminent threat of censorship in the event of recourse to 49.3 to adopt the PLFSS (bill on the financing of social security), examined in final reading by the deputies this afternoon, the Prime Minister discussed Monday morning on this subject with the leader of the deputies RN Marine Le Pen.
“Many requests have been expressed on this subject (medications, Editor’s note). Ms. Marine Le Pen, on behalf of the National Rally, reminded the Prime Minister of this again this morning during a telephone exchange,” adds the press release.
Despite the commitment made by the government, the Social Security budget, resulting from a compromise between a committee of senators and deputies, “does not contain in itself a specific provision on the reimbursement of medicines” which falls within the scope of regulatory and not legislative, specifies Michel Barnier. And it “recalls the importance and the imperative need for France to adopt financial texts and a budget for 2025”.
After having obtained that the government abandons the increase in taxes on electricity and reduces state medical aid (AME) for undocumented immigrants, the RN demanded new concessions, “red lines” on the budget, in particular on the revaluation of retirement pensions or a step backwards on the reduction in reimbursement of certain medicines.
The Social Security budget will be examined from 3 p.m. In the absence of a majority, the government could use article 49.3 of the Constitution to have it adopted without a vote, which would in turn expose it to the filing of a motion of censure. If this is the case, “it's over”, it will be censored, during the vote on this motion on Wednesday or Thursday, announced the president of the RN Jordan Bardella in the morning. “Except obviously, a last minute miracle,” he quipped.
In his press release, the Prime Minister does not say, however, whether he will hold the government responsible for this text through article 49.3 of the Constitution. If he decided not to use it and the text was simply rejected by the oppositions, he would leave for a new parliamentary shuttle. He must communicate his decision to the political groups of his fragile government coalition at the beginning of the afternoon, according to a Macronist framework.
