Michel Barnier attempts a final gesture towards Marine Le Pen on medicines

POLICY – 889 characters to avoid falling? This Monday, December 2 at midday, Prime Minister Michel Barnier released a press release, which appears to be a desperate attempt at censorship in which RN deputies would participate. Purpose of this umpteenth gesture towards Marine Le Pen: the reduction in reimbursement for certain medications, constituting a “ red line » for the Lepenist party.

In the morning, government spokesperson Maud Bregeon assured that the Social Security Financing Bill for 2025 (PLFSS) did not contain “ no refund of drugs “. A position confirmed by Matignon. “ This text, which provides a financial trajectory for Social Security, does not contain in itself any specific provision on the reimbursement of medicines. “, underlines Matignon's text, recalling that the subject was the subject of ” many requests », notably from the president of the RN group in the National Assembly.

Barnier quotes Le Pen to coax him

The Prime Minister's entourage also announced that Michel Barnier and Marine Le Pen spoke on the telephone this morning on this issue, before stating: ” the government undertakes to ensure that there will be no delisting of medicines in 2025 in application of the PLFSS “. According to The Pointthe executive has so far refused to reverse the delisting of certain drugs, at a cost estimated at more than a billion euros.

During the weekend, the Minister of Public Accounts Laurent Saint-Martin even announced that “ to come back » on this source of savings would amount to “ sit on parliament “. However, this is clearly what the executive has just done, by announcing that no measure of this type will appear in the final text. Another mark of consideration, Marine Le Pen is mentioned by name in this press release, reinforcing the place occupied by the president of the RN group in the Assembly in government arbitrations. It remains to be seen whether this announcement will be enough for the RN to spare Michel Barnier.

Because the National Rally has other “ red lines » appearing in its demands, such as the reduction in reductions in employer contributions and the indexation of the pensions of all retirees from January 1. These remain in the executive copy. If, as he announced to his coalition groups, Michel Barnier still activates article 49-3 of the Constitution, we will know on Wednesday during the vote on the motion of censure whether this concession was sufficient for the RN .

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