It was expected. As for the first part of the examination of the 2023 budget, the government decided this Thursday to use 49.3 to validate the Social Security financing bill. And once again, the Nupes filed a motion of censure to denounce this recourse to 49.3.
“The ball is in your court”, however launched to the deputies the Minister of Health, François Braun, at the start of the discussions in the hemicycle. But, from the middle of the week, the Council of Ministers had authorized the use of 49.3 and several leaders of the majority pleaded in this direction. “The oppositions do not want to open the possibility (…) of letting us move forward. Under these conditions, we will also take our responsibilities, ”justified to AFP the Minister of Public Accounts, Gabriel Attal.
For her part, the President of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet (Renaissance), had asked the government on Thursday to “allow time for debate”. She was not listened to.
Even if in the end no amendment is planned for a pension reform – an Elysian track which had aroused the ire of the opposition and the uneasiness of part of the majority – the examination of the PLFSS was announced very difficult for the executive. MEPs tabled more than 3,000 amendments which, on paper. Knowing that within this period, the motions of censure of the Nupes and the RN, which follow 49.3 on the state budget, must be put to the vote, which will occupy a few hours of additional sitting.
Expected savings
The PLFSS “is betting on health and solidarity” and “I am proud of it”, assured François Braun on Thursday morning, for which this is the first budget. 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, and to reform the training of general practitioners by adding a fourth year with “priority” internships in medical deserts. It also increases the fight against the “abuse” of work stoppages prescribed during teleconsultations.
The examination of the text in committee went rather calmly, but not without hitches. Several measures were voted against the opinion of the government, such as the respect by companies of the obligations in terms of gender equality to benefit from reductions in contributions.
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister had engaged the responsibility of her government to have the first part of the state budget adopted without a vote.