Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Wednesday pledged the responsibility of her government to have the first part of the state budget adopted without a vote. The procedure has interrupted the ongoing debates on this text, but does not prevent the examination of the Social Security financing bill (PLFSS) for 2023, long planned to start Thursday at 9 a.m.
But the exchanges could be interrupted there too by a 49.3, and quickly. “The oppositions do not want to open up the possibility of moving forward with us or, in any case, of letting us move forward. Under these conditions, we will also take our responsibilities,” Public Accounts Minister Gabriel Attal told AFP.
The Council of Ministers on Wednesday authorized the use of 49.3, which could be activated before the weekend on the revenue side of this budget. Several leaders of the majority have pleaded in this direction, to avoid the same disappointments as in recent days in the hemicycle.
Even if in the end there is no amendment planned for a pension reform – an Elysian track which had aroused the ire of the opposition and the uneasiness of part of the majority – its examination promises to be very difficult for the executive.
MEPs have tabled more than 3,000 amendments which, on paper, must be examined until October 26.
Within this period, the motions of censure of the Nupes and the RN, which follow on from 49.3 on the state budget, must be put to the vote, which will occupy a few hours of additional sitting.
The PLFSS is “a text of investment and commitment”, according to the Minister of Health François Braun. He anticipates a sharp drop in the deficit to 6.8 billion in 2023 (17.8 billion this year), based on a spectacular drop in the Covid bill.
It projects savings of 1.1 billion euros on the reimbursement of drugs and 250 million on analysis laboratories in particular.
The bill plans to improve prevention, with appointments at the key ages of life, to fight against the “abuse” of work stoppages by regulating teleconsultation and to reform the training of general practitioners by adding a fourth year with “priority” internships in medical deserts.
For lack of on-call doctors “over the whole territory” on evenings and weekends, the government also wants to extend the “permanence of care” to nurses, midwives and dentists.
– Everyone gauges themselves –
Without an absolute majority, and tense by its defeats during the votes on the state budget, the presidential camp will scrutinize the attitude of the opposition to the opening to know what fight to expect.
“The current conditions mean that there will surely be” a 49.3, recognizes the rapporteur Stéphanie Rist (Renaissance).
The examination of the text in committee has nevertheless passed rather calmly, but not without hitches. Several measures were voted against his opinion, such as compliance by companies with obligations in terms of gender equality in order to benefit from reductions in contributions.
The left is pounding the imposed budgetary framework: for the socialist Arthur Delaporte, “it is sorely lacking in ambition”, and for Hadrien Clouet (LFI) “investments for our health system and our hospitals”.
RN deputies deplore the absence of “major measures” to “restore our health system”.
This text does not find favor either in the eyes of elected LRs who pinpoint the lack of “efficiency” of health spending.
To fight against medical deserts, a transpartisan working group, initiated by the socialist Guillaume Garot, is pressing for more coercive measures on the installation of doctors.
Another pitfall for the government: several measures are strongly criticized by the professionals concerned.
Reassembled against the requested savings, biologists and analysis laboratories are threatening a strike. Angry, the pharmaceutical sector has already obtained setbacks from the government.
In an already burning social context, a revolt of interns threatens: they are opposed to the fourth year and the planned ban on temporary work in the hospital for newly graduated caregivers.
