The Minister of the Interior promises one billion euros over five years for firefighters
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Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez promised Friday a billion euros over five years to strengthen the resources of the departmental fire and rescue services (Sdis), financed by an increase in the special tax on insurance agreements, a measure which will have to be voted on annually and which comes after an unprecedented fire season in 2026.
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Why It Matters
The Minister of the Interior addressed the annual congress of firefighters to respond to their anger at the resources deemed insufficient by the departmental fire and rescue services, after a particularly intense fire season in 2026.
Faced with the anger of firefighters, particularly professionals, Laurent Nuñez promised Friday to strengthen the resources of the departmental fire and rescue services (Sdis), to the tune of one billion euros over five years, a budgetary measure which will nevertheless have to be voted on each year. In a speech broadcast at the annual firefighters' congress, the Minister of the Interior assured that the bill known as the modernization of civil security would contain "an article explicitly showing the means" allocated for the next five years.
“This programming will be financed each year by 200 million in revenue from the special tax on additional insurance agreements, which appear in the finance bill for 2027,” indicated the minister. The government provides in this PLF, obtained Thursday by the AFP, an “exceptional increase” in the tax on insurance agreements (TSCA) in order to strengthen the resources of the Sdis, an increase estimated at 200 million euros.
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“Interesting political direction”
A fraction of this TSCA, which applies to motorists' insurance contracts and is allocated to local authorities and social security organizations, is allocated to departments to finance firefighters. “This effort represents on the scale of a five-year period a billion euros in new revenue for civil security,” said Laurent Nuñez, a few months before a presidential election with an uncertain outcome.
“It’s an interesting political direction,” Xavier Boy, president of the professional firefighters union FA/SPP-PATS, told AFP. “But an announcement does not equal a lasting budgetary commitment. We will judge on the texts, the amounts actually recorded and the sums actually collected by the SDIS,” he warned.
During his video speech, sent to AFP by his services, the Minister of the Interior spoke of an “unprecedented” fire season, “with more than 100,000 hectares burned”. “There will be a before and after 2026. This summer obliges us,” acknowledged Laurent Nuñez, promising an increase in resources “by doubling, for example, the number of helicopters and light planes which will be rented for the 2027 forest fire season.”
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The civil security modernization bill containing the article on the financing of Sdis will be debated in Parliament in the coming months.
Likely · Within months
The 200 million euro increase in the special tax on insurance agreements will be included in the finance bill for 2027.
Very likely · Within months
Open Questions
- Will the civil security modernization bill be adopted as is by Parliament?
- Will the increase in the special tax on insurance agreements be maintained despite possible opposition?
- Will the promised amounts actually be paid each year to Sdis?
