Overview
- After stalling on the State budget’s revenue section, deputies opened first‑reading debate on the 2026 Social Security bill with roughly 2,400–2,500 amendments and heightened tensions.
- The text includes the government’s article suspending the pension‑age schedule, and the prime minister has signaled dropping a 2026 freeze on pensions and minimum benefits, leaving financing still unsettled.
- The Cour des comptes warned the planned correction is highly uncertain and said the deficit, projected at €23 billion in 2025, may not narrow without firmer measures.
- Debates run through Sunday with a solemn vote slated for 12 November, and the government pledged to send all amendments adopted by the Assembly to the Senate even if first‑reading work is unfinished.
- Key flashpoints include a proposed doubling of medical co‑pays by decree, tighter limits on sick leave, and mandatory use of the shared medical record with penalties for noncompliance, all facing strong cross‑party pushback as options like governing by ordinances are publicly discussed.