The text voted by the National Assembly at the end of October was largely unpunished by the senators.

The Senate, with a majority on the right, adopted on Tuesday at first reading the Draft Social Security Budget for 2019, in a largely amended version, by 181 votes against 125 and 40 abstentions.

The text as amended was adopted with the LR votes and the majority of the centrist Union group.

PS, CRCE (majority Communist) voted against, as well as LREM and part of the RDSE (with a radical majority). The Independents abstained, with some of the RDSE and centrists.

Retirement age pushed back to 63

For the first time in 18 years, this budget, the second of Emmanuel Macron's five-year term, is positive.

Among the amendments to the text voted on October 30 by the National Assembly, the Senate restored the inflation indexation of retirement pensions and family allowances.

The senatorial line matched this measure in favor of the purchasing power of raising the retirement age to 63 and an "exceptional participation" requested by the complementary organizations.

Agnès Buzyn does not share

"Obviously, the government does not completely share the options that have been taken by the Senate and by this vote," said Health Minister Agnès Buzyn. "In particular, the government is not in favor of drastically reducing the minimum age of retirement to 63 years. "

"And on the other hand, we do not share the massive increase in taxes on mutual and complementary insurance ," she continued, saying that "this taxation would obviously increase the cost of complementary . "

Towards a new reading

A mixed joint commission meets late Tuesday afternoon to try to agree on a version common to both assemblies. In case of failure, the most likely hypothesis, the parliamentary shuttle will continue with a new reading in the Assembly and the Senate.

The initial text of the government was 58 articles, a number increased to 87 by the deputies who adopted it on first reading on 30 October.

The Senate "adopted 51 compliant articles, amended 29, deleted 7 and added 22 additional articles" , summed Friday the chairman of the Social Affairs Committee Alain Milon (LR) after a week of debate.