Social Security budget: deputies reject in committee the part on revenue

MEPs rejected the “revenue” part of the Social Security budget for 2027 in committee on Thursday, before continuing with discussions on the “expenditure” part, scheduled until Friday evening. This vote has few consequences, since the deputies will return to the hemicycle on Tuesday with the initial version of the text. But it augurs the fate that will probably be reserved for him at the session next week. The left and the RN voted against this part of the text, while the Renaissance, MoDem and Horizons deputies voted for, according to a parliamentary source.

The government's project intends to reduce the Social Security deficit to 12.7 billion euros in 2027, compared to 21.8 billion in 2026. But the changes made to the revenue section in committee would bring this deficit next year to 19 billion, according to an "approximate" estimate from the text's rapporteur, Thibault Bazin (LR). During the examination, which began on Monday, the deputies notably ruled out a flagship measure which was to bring in 3.7 billion euros, by playing on employer contributions. The deputies also removed the extension into 2027 of exceptional taxation of complementary health insurance, which had been introduced by the Social Security budget last year. The measure is expected to bring in 1.1 billion euros for Social Security, but many MPs have denounced a cost passed on to policyholder contributions.

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Extension of “soda tax” approved

The left, for its part, claimed to have proposed a multitude of amendments aimed at finding additional revenue, targeting the wealthiest, large companies, dividends... But everything was "refused", regretted to AFP Sandrine Runel, referent on this text for the PS. “Unlike last year, there were no negotiations” with the government, she noted. “We must not kill the goose that lays the golden eggs” by “always taxing the same people” when “we” already tax “a lot of work,” replied Michel Lauzzana (Renaissance).

The commission, on the other hand, approved the extension of the “soda tax”, created in 2012, to prepackaged sweet products richest in sugar. “We could estimate that it brings in 1.7 billion,” declared Thibault Bazin. Many other articles of the social security financing bill (PLFSS) were rejected. Which led the deputy of the communist group Yannick Monnet to pretend to be surprised: “with whom did the government make this PLFSS?”, triggering general hilarity after the unanimous rejection of an article. In the hemicycle, a rejection of the “revenue” part – which several members of the committee say they expect next week – would amount to a total rejection of the text, without studying the expenditure. It would then be sent directly to the Senate.