A 49.3 triggered on the social security budget, after that on the state budget: Elisabeth Borne brought the government’s responsibility into play Thursday before the National Assembly, for the second time in two days, after several setbacks on this new disputed text.
“We need” of this revenue part of the Social Security financing bill because “without it, we could not continue the debate”justified the head of government at the rostrum of the Assembly, by activating the constitutional weapon after only one day of discussions.
Article 49.3 must allow the adoption without a vote of this revenue part, before initiating in the coming days the examination of the follow-up to the bill, which “carries major reforms in terms of prevention, health, family policy or autonomy”she supported.
This is not the first time that a Matignon tenant has repeatedly held himself liable over such a short period of time: Michel Rocard, record holder of 49.3, had done so in December 1989 on three different pieces of legislation in 24 hours.
Applauded by the majority but heckled by the opposition, Ms. Borne indicated that the text submitted to 49.3 had been “modified, enriched, improved, taking into account the debates in committee”.
After a total of ten tumultuous days at the Palais Bourbon, a break begins in the debates until Monday, 4:00 p.m. RN, after its recourse to 49.3 on the revenue part of the draft 2023 state budget.
The motions have almost no chance of being adopted and bringing down the government: the elected RNs have ruled out “a priori” voting for a text from the Nupes, and vice versa. And the leader of the LR deputies, Olivier Marleix, refuses to“add chaos to chaos” by bringing the voices of the right.
The revenue part for the State will then be considered adopted at first reading and the Assembly will be able to move on to examining the second part, devoted to expenditure, from Thursday 27 October.
The head of government will have to face at least one other motion of censure, on the part of Nupes deputies in connection with Thursday’s 49.3 on the 2023 budget of the Secu. It’s a new “forced passage”denounced the boss of LFI deputies, Mathilde Panot, to the press: “double 49.3 equals double motion of censure”.
It could be put to the vote on Monday as well, from a parliamentary source.
RN elected officials reserve the possibility of also filing a new motion.
“Everyone is hooked on this 49.3 mechanism but it’s nothing serious”, relativized in the corridors the elected MoDem Erwan Balanant. “We can see that there is not a sufficient majority, in the face of opposition that is leagued together” but have no alternative program, he tackled.
“Denatured”
As in “suspension”, the deputies had begun Thursday morning the examination of this new text in an increasing tension.
“The ball is in your camp”had launched to the deputies the Minister of Health, François Braun.
But the exchanges had started very badly for the executive: the first two parts of the Social Security financing bill (PLFSS) had been rejected. They related to the 2021 accounts and the 2022 financial year, which the Prime Minister considered to be “distorted” by the opposition votes. They had chosen to reallocate 1.5 billion euros from city medicine to hospitals.
The Minister of Public Accounts, Gabriel Attal, spoke out against a “opposition pavlovienne” to draft budgets and against “postures”.
Even if there was ultimately no amendment to reform pensions – Elysian track which had aroused the ire of the opposition and the unease of part of the majority – the examination promised to be very difficult for the executive. The deputies had tabled more than 3,000 amendments.
The PLFSS 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 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 intends to increase the fight against the “abuse” of work stoppages prescribed during teleconsultations.
Mr. Attal had announced an amendment so that non-pension allowances can no longer be paid from 2024 to non-European bank accounts.
The government had also extended its hand on certain points. Thus the transfer to Social Security of contributions to the Agirc-Arrco supplementary pension plan, a hard point for the right, will be postponed to 2024 via another amendment.
The combination of employment and pensions for doctors will also be encouraged by an exemption from old-age contributions in 2023.
Insufficient for the LR group, whose votes were key and who had planned to vote against this draft budget.
The left puts forward a “lack of investment for our health system and our hospitals”.
The head of deputies RN Marine Le Pen denounces a text “blind to the difficulties of patients and healthcare professionals”.
Several measures are also criticized by the professionals concerned, from biologists to medical interns.