The Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, wishes “expense control” of State medical aid (AME), allowing foreigners in an irregular situation to benefit from access to care, he explains in the Sunday newspaper (JDD).
Mr. Barnier does not seem to want to call this aid into question, but he considers it necessary “control of AME expenditure”. “The government and Parliament will take all measures to ensure that these do not progress furtherhe explains. It is important to ensure that the AME is never diverted from its purpose, namely a public health tool. »
The government said it was in favor, on Tuesday, of freezing funds allocated to the AME; a change of direction, when he had initially planned to increase them in the 2025 budget.
In 2024, the AME represented approximately 0.5% of health expenditure planned by the Social Security budget. At the end of 2023, there were 466,000 beneficiaries.
Mr. Barnier, who went on Friday with the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, to the Italian border for a working meeting with two Italian ministers (foreign affairs and interior) on the question of immigration, specifies that he will travel to Rome in November to meet the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, from a post-fascist far-right party.
Concerning foreigners subject to an obligation to leave the territory (OQTF) and whose country of origin refuses their return, he says he wants, “in a spirit of dialogue”, “extend or resume discussions with these countries”. “We will not do it aggressively, but by laying down all the tools of bilateral cooperation”he adds, estimating that“there are countries close to France, such as Algeria and Morocco, with which dialogue is possible”.
“And we will indeed be able to examine all dimensions, if necessary, from visa issuance to development assistance”he warns.
