TO ANALYSE. Pension reform will not save the system. At least not only. For the first time, the government is preparing to defend a pension reform to finance something other than the balance of the various schemes. “This is not a budget reform”insists François Bayrou, the boss of the MoDem, close to the President of the Republic, in The Parisian. “It’s not an accounting reform, it’s much more”abounds the former Renaissance minister and deputy Eric Woerth, in The echoes.
Impossible, at this stage, to say what the reform will look like. But in the political narrative of the government and of the majority, it already constitutes the means of freeing up resources to finance public policies which, otherwise, should be financed through taxation. “It is an obligation to balance our pension system, but also a way of finding revenue to finance other public policies”, willingly admits Jean-René Cazeneuve, the budget rapporteur at the National Assembly. As for the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, it is even clearer: “To finance our social model, either taxes increase or the overall volume of hours worked increases. We don’t want to raise taxes. » Because raising taxes is much more unpopular than reforming pensions, argues an executive adviser: “No tax increases, it’s a totem for us. And pensions are the mother of reforms, it’s our DNA. »
This reform, of which nothing is known yet, already has a well-filled dance card. It will have to balance the long-term pension system, help to repay the debt and reduce public spending – otherwise these are taxes that will be left to future generations, insists, in private, the head of the state. But it must also make new public policies possible, as ambitious as they are varied. Some deputies are even campaigning for part of the pension contributions to be downright directed towards dependency. This should not be the mechanism finally adopted. “Our majority is very attached to the reform of old age and autonomy, details Aurore Bergé, leader of the Renaissance deputies. Working more also means having more leeway to finance it. » But it could also be school, health, climate. Emmanuel Macron does not hide it. He wants to use “intelligently” the money released.
“Social Pact”
You have 51.84% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.