The debates promise to be explosive. During the committee examination of the Social Security budget project, which will begin on Monday, October 27 in the Assembly, the Republicans will propose eliminating the suspension of the pension reform, while the socialists will try to integrate long careers into it.
In total, 1,575 amendments to the text were presented, according to a count carried out by the Assembly on Friday night. The start of the examination of the text was initially scheduled for Thursday in the Social Affairs Commission. But it had to be postponed until 9 a.m. on Monday, after the Government presented a “corrective letter” directly integrating into the text the suspension of the pension reform, promised to the socialists in exchange for their non-censorship.
Although some 1,400 amendments had been presented on the first version of the Social Security budget, a deadline was reopened until Friday afternoon so that deputies could propose new amendments, in particular on the modified articles. It is still necessary to examine the admissibility of these amendments, since deputies cannot, in particular, create a new financial burden (article 40 of the Constitution).
The suspension of the pension reform is led by an amendment to remove the Horizons deputies and another co-signed by the head of the deputies, LR, Laurent Wauquiez.
“If the suspension is approved, we will draw the consequences of our vote,” he added, while the adoption of this text in the end could not be more uncertain.
Risk of financial inadmissibility
The leader of the socialist deputies, Boris Vallaud, presented an amendment aimed at guaranteeing the application of the suspension of the pension reform “to those insured with the right to early exits, and in particular to those who have a long career.”
This amendment “runs the risk of not being admissible,” a socialist executive agreed with AFP, adding that in this case the idea that the Government itself modify its text to make this modification “will be one of the elements” of the negotiations.
The battle in committee will also develop over the financing of this suspension. The text also includes many other critical points, including the freezing of retirement pensions and social benefits, generally indexed to inflation. Debates on the draft Social Security budget should, a priori, end in committee next Friday. The text must then reach the chamber on November 4, with a vote scheduled for the 12th, before its transmission to the Senate.
Source: BFM TV
