Paris (AFP)

The Parliament must definitively adopt Tuesday the draft budget of the Sécu for 2020, object of criticism still lively opposition on the situation of hospitals despite the extension decided by the government.

Worn since October by the Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn and his colleague Gérald Darmanin (Public Accounts), this Social Security financing bill (PLFSS) should have the approval of MEPs LREM and MoDem as well as some of the UDI-Act at its final vote in the Assembly late afternoon.

On the other hand, LR and the three left-wing groups - PS, PCF and LFI - again sharply criticized the text Monday night during its final reading, while Libertés et Territoires announced its abstention.

Saying that his group would vote against, Gilles Lurton (LR) lambasted a "total lack of response from the government to the deep crisis in the health system."

On the left, Joel Aviragnet (PS) denounced the plan announced for the hospital as a "drop of water" while the sector will "still" achieve some "650 million euros in savings".

"Imposture, scam, scam" ..., added Caroline Fiat (LFI), Andre Chassaigne (PCF) seeing "DIY".

With this draft budget, the "hole" of the Sécu is not resorbed. The return to equilibrium has been postponed due to the crisis of "yellow vests" and economic conditions worse than expected.

And the deficit for 2020 has been further increased to 5.4 billion by the hospital support plan announced by the government in response to eight months of crisis.

Unveiled on November 20 by Mrs. Buzyn and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, it provides a first extension of 300 million by 2020. This raises the objective of health insurance expenditure (Ondam) from 2.3% to 2.45%, when their natural progression would be of the order of 4.5%.

In total, the government has promised 1.5 billion euros in three years for the hospital. To this should be added a recovery of 10 billion euros in institutional debts over three years.

- "Chaotic" -

Unveiled during the parliamentary shuttle, this plan is intended to respond to the unprecedented emergency strike, extended to all hospital personnel who demonstrated by the thousands on November 14.

The Assembly first adopted the draft budget of the Sécu at first reading without knowing its content, after debates largely focused on the hospital, "out of breath" according to the oppositions.

After the promise of "strong decisions" by Emmanuel Macron, the Senate then abruptly interrupted his work to protest the fact that he was discussing, pending details, a text already "obsolete".

After a new reading in both houses last week, Buzyn acknowledged Monday night that the text had advanced "in special circumstances", LR evoking a review "chaotic".

The announced plan did not convince the hospital staff who are planning another day of mobilization on December 17th. Some unions also relayed the call for the December 5 strike against pension reform.

Ms. Buzyn announced that she would do a "tour of France hospitals" after the vote on Tuesday to "verify that each hospital finds the benefits" measures taken.

Another critically criticized issue in both chambers is the government's non-compensation for loss of revenue for the Sécu related to emergency measures to respond to the "yellow vests" crisis a year ago (reduced CSG rate). for some pensioners, etc.).

Also criticized, the revaluation limited to 0.3% of most social benefits with the exception of the pensions of the most modest pensioners.

In the more consensual measures, the text provides, in particular, for a compensated family caregiver leave or a new public support payment service.

It also provides for an experiment in the medical use of cannabis and renews the exemption on the exceptional premium called "premium Macron", that companies can pay to employees, subject to profit-sharing agreements.

© 2019 AFP