TRIBUNE – This day of national strike is the mark of one of the exercises of participatory democracy. In terms of pensions, France has shown great resistance to change: the street has often been the last resort to make the voice of the people heard in government.
The new pension reform, now under consideration in the Senate, only reveals more and more the discrimination and inequalities present within the French social system. These imbalances can also be seen with regard to the carbon tax: this does not apply not proportionallyas common sense would dictate, to the ultra wealthy owners of yachts and private jets.
Nevertheless, the 63 French billionaires and their assets are responsible for emitting as many greenhouse gases – to use the technical definition – as half of the general population in France. This raises the question, once again, of equality in the face of societal challenges.
An obvious question then arises: does the treatment of elected officials (deputies or senators) really fall within the framework of our principles of equality of citizens before the law?
We citizens want answers to our questions!
In our democratic context, citizens are theoretically equal before the law, which can be adapted according to certain situations.
The latter therefore have the right to be informed and informed about the specific treatment reserved for our elected representatives: what about the amount of pensions and other benefits granted related to the (very) special regimes granted to our (very) dear representatives of the people ( of the National Assembly, with some concessions since 2018, or of the Senate), the first characteristic of which does not seem to be a great difficulty in the work?
And how can we then approach calmly, after certain observations, the disappearance of other special regimes or decide precisely to maintain them by way of derogation?
Collective reflections lead to many questions being asked about the real privileges that are granted to parliamentarians without there being any reasonable and rational reason for what may be considered preferential treatment.
As citizens (and taxpayers), we are entitled to discuss these subjects and to raise many questions.
Concerning the monthly quantum and the determination of retirement
- Why does a deputy receive after two terms, i.e. ten years of contributions, an average pension of 1600 euros per month whereas a private employee with minimum wage, i.e. 1690 euros, will receive 845 euros, for 42 years of contributionthe maximum rate being 50%?
- Why a senator receives an average pension of 3,856 euros per month, which is three times higher than that of the French?
- Why does a perceptive deputy a monthly allowance of 7493.30 euros will receive a retirement pension 32% higher than that of an employee who would have received the same salary? Indeed, for the same duration, the deputy will receive 5475 euros while the employee will be capped at 50%, therefore 3746 euros.
Regarding the specific advantages of elected officials
- For what the allowances of an elected official are unseizable contrary to the income of an employee (even in the event of fraud or a fine)?
- Why the survivor’s pension of the spouse of a deputy is not subject to the resource capas is the case in the private sector?
- Re unemployment rights: why a deputy who does not stand for re-election at the end of his mandate can receive unemployment benefit, while a resigning employee is not entitled to it?
- The case of fines is also discriminatory: why fraud in the declaration of assets of an elected official don’t cause him to incur only 45,000 euros fine, 3 years in prison, while an individual who makes a forgery with an administrative document risks a fine of €75,000 and 5 years in prison. ?
- On the presence in the Senate and the Assembly: why there is no obligation or control over the presence of deputies and senators during their sessions, while an absent employee is sanctioned by his company and this can even go so far as to constitute serious misconduct, resulting in his dismissal without compensation?
- Finally, on free transport: why are deputies entitled to taxis fully reimbursed by the National Assembly under the Material Endowment for Deputies? Why the National Assembly pays for all their trips on the SNCF metropolitan network, in 1time class and with a personal circulation card?
All the while knowing that Members benefit an advance on mandate fees of 5,561 euros per month, an amount that should be able to more than cover these expenses. And of course, not to mention plane tickets…
So, ladies and gentlemen elected officials, thank you for answering our questions, many of us ask them, including within the editorial staff of France-Evening.