Arthur de Laborde, edited by Laura Laplaud / Photo credit: XOSE BOUZAS / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP
The government has its new target: social fraud and its six to eight billion euros in lost revenue per year. The Minister Delegate in charge of Public Accounts Gabriel Attal has unveiled his fight plan. The political objective is clear, to close the sequence of retreats by meeting the expectations of social justice.
The Minister Delegate in charge of Public Accounts Gabriel Attal unveiled on Monday a vast plan to fight against social fraud which should make it possible to save money and double the adjustments by 2027. Among the measures announced, the obligation to reside nine months per year in France against six currently planned, to benefit from family allowances or the minimum old age, as well as the merger between the Vitale card and the identity card in order to fight against fraud in health benefits.
Skeptical public opinion
Gabriel Attal tackles a popular and mainstream subject. He says he wants to lead this fight against social fraud “without instrumentalization, without stigmatization, but with pragmatism”. A consensual approach intended to recreate a little national cohesion and try to heal the wounds left by the pension reform.
The Minister of Public Accounts himself defines his line as ambitious and credible. He thus hopes to display rapid and tangible results, because he knows that the communication aspect will not be enough on this subject. If there is an almost general will to see the fight against the scourge of social fraud strengthened, this is accompanied in the opinion of a great skepticism while the promises made in this area have rarely been kept. The idea is above all to address this France which thinks it is not entitled to aid and considers that there are abuses.
Addressing the “middle classes”
It is therefore mainly to the “middle classes” that the former government spokesman wants to speak. He knows all the electoral stakes represented by this category. If it were to switch to the side of the National Rally, this would undoubtedly give a decisive advantage to the party of Marine Le Pen, which already dominates very largely in the popular categories.