The Assembly and the Senate voted on Wednesday, in their respective Finance committees, in favor of the elimination of the Universal National Service (SNU) in the State budget, while those elected criticize the experimentation of this system desired by Emmanuel Macron, and its estimated cost.
Two chambers, two majorities, but the same result. In the Assembly, it was the left that maneuvered to suppress the SNU.
The elected representatives of the New Popular Front, present in large numbers, adopted an amendment that reallocates to the amateur sports sector all of the 128 million euros allocated to the SNU in 2025. A symbolic victory due to the very weak presence of the elected Macronists and from the right. -ala, as the president of the LFI commission pointed out. “If it is approved so easily (and) not by one or two votes, it is because there is a part of the commission that is not there,” summarized Eric Coquerel.
Without consequences at this point, since the discussion in the chamber will begin from the Government’s initial copy, as long as the “revenue” part of the budget is not rejected first, which would send the text directly to the Senate. The Upper House, however, adopted a similar position at the beginning of the evening: meeting behind closed doors, its finance committee actually voted in favor of a reduction of 100 million euros in SNU appropriations.
Without “sufficient added value”
The decision was made unanimously with at least two abstentions, socialist senator Eric Jeansannetas, rapporteur on youth credits, told AFP. This amendment will be presented again in public session during the Senate’s consideration of the “spending” portion of the budget in early December.
The Creuse elect also observes that “for the first time since the beginning of the SNU experiment, the objectives are stagnant” and wonders, therefore, “if the objective of generalizing it to the entire age group is still relevant.” The Minister of Sports and Youth, Gil Avérous, had already admitted on Monday on Sud Radio that he “did not have the means to generalize the SNU” in his budget.
In September, the Court of Auditors prepared a harsh evaluation of the SNU, with estimated costs of between 3,500 and 5,000 million euros per year. The campaign promise of the Head of State, the SNU, launched in 2019, was to be generalized at the beginning of the 2026 school year, according to the promises of the previous Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.
It includes a “mission of general interest” and a “cohesion stay” that includes sports, cultural and intellectual activities, with days that begin with the “raising of the colors” (flag and national anthem) and the use of the uniform.
Source: BFM TV
