Paris (AFP)

The Assembly begins Tuesday the examination of the draft budget 2020 Social Security, whose "hole" is not resorbed, the government defending a text "responsibility" that protects "the most vulnerable", facing oppositions who are alarmed that "the hospital burns".

Just after the vote on the receipts section of the state budget at first reading, the deputies will follow for the whole week with this text carried by the Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn. Nearly 2,000 amendments have been tabled, and a solemn vote is scheduled Tuesday.

Among the "good news" of this third budget of the five-year term, according to the words of the rapporteur Olivier Véran (LREM), include a compensated caregiver leave or a new mechanism for the recovery of maintenance.

The text also provides for a reindexation of part of the pensions on inflation, a compensation fund for victims of plant protection products or the renewal of the tax-deferred bonus for employees.

In committee, the members also put on the table other topics such as the experimentation of cannabis for medical use and a tax on deli meat.

On the financial side, especially because of the crisis of "yellow vests" and a worse economic situation than expected, the return to balance promised for 2019 is postponed to 2023. The draft budget still provides a deficit of 5, 1 billion next year.

Denouncing a "siphoning" accounts of the Secu, in unison with some associations and unions like the CFDT, the deputies voted in committee the principle of compensation by the State for measures decided last December during the crisis "yellow vests" (reduced rate of CSG for some retirees, exemption of overtime ...). But it is still necessary that this proposal is voted in session, which is far from guaranteed.

- "A little Mona Lisa" -

On the revenue side, the government expects 500 million from the "controlled revaluation" of family allowances and pensions of more than 2,000 euros, which will only increase by 0.3% like last year. Some 400 million euros must also come from the "cap" of a social niche, the specific flat-rate deduction, which reduces employer contributions in the construction, aviation or media.

Too little, however, to loosen the grip on health spending (Ondam), whose growth will remain limited to 2.3%, when their natural progression is rather of the order of 4.5%. It is necessary to find 4.2 billion euros of all-round savings (hospitals, liberal doctors, medicines ...).

For LR, Jean-Pierre Door noted in committee that "we are very far from the satisfaction of last year", his colleague Jean-Carles Grelier seeing the Ondam fixed "a real snub" for professionals in the sector. Paul Christophe (UDI-Agir) pointed out hospital expenses "particularly abused".

On the left, Boris Vallaud (PS) denounced a bill "non-funding" of the Secu. "The hospital burns and you look elsewhere," he said, deeming the level of spending "irresponsible".

Caroline Fiat (LFI) denounced a "text of renunciation and disappointment" while "hospital dies" and Pierre Dharreville (PCF) a budget of "underfunding" in the face of "daily drama" in hospitals, despite some "shimmering keys" whose leave helps.

This budget is "a little Mona Lisa: if you listen to talk about it is beautiful, but when you see it is still a little disappointed because it is very small," said the elected Communist.

MEPs voted in committee for a new way of financing emergencies, which had been in crisis for months, so that the allocations would be distributed according to the population.

Faced with warnings from all sides about the hospital, including some "walkers", the rapporteur Olivier Véran said that "we must make a gesture".

He called for "continuing the work for the meeting", wondering whether the move should be on the level of expenditure (Ondam) or "related mechanisms" to "give room for the hospital for that he can invest, continue his transformation ".

The ball is now in the government's court.

© 2019 AFP