France โFaces โSocial Security Deficit Risk โas Budget Debate Intensifies
PARIS,โ Decemberโค 4, 2025 – French Prime Minister Sรฉbastienโ Lecornu โฃwarned today โคthat the absenceโ of aโค Social Security financing bill (PLFSS) for an โคentire year โcould โคtrigger a “total loss โขof control” over the systemS finances, projecting aโข potential deficit of โ29 to 30 billionโ euros for 2026. The โคstark warning came amid ongoing debate in the National โฃAssembly, โwithโ Lecornu imploring Membersโฃ of Parliament to define โa deficit target and avert โwhat he described as โคa looming crisis.
The escalating concern stems from the possibility of France operating without a dedicated budget for Social Security – a situation Lecornu noted was unprecedented, contrasting it with previous instances where a PLFSS was delayedโ for only โtwo โto three months.โค The Prime Minister revealed he had contacted various administrations โ”several โฃdaysโ ago” to โฃcommission โฃa extensive impact study on the ramifications of a year-longโ absence of the PLFSS. โFailure to act,โ officials fear, could leave future generations burdened with an unmanageable deficit.
“Is there โคa schemeโฃ in which we โcan affordโ for โฃthere to be โฃno Social Security financing bill? The โฃanswer is โฃno,” Lecornu stated,โ as reported โby LCP. He furtherโ cautioned that a lack of budgetary โฃoversight would likely result in a widespread โขabdication of duty for the resulting deficit.โข
Lecornu emphasizedโ the National Assembly holds the sole power to define theโ deficit target and prevent the potential โคcollapse of โคthe Social Security system. โคโ He stressed that allowing the situation toโข unfold would โbe “a lot of coffee to sayโ the least,” and warned against a scenario where “everyone would wash their hands of this deficit.”
