IDebate is the bedrock of our parliamentary democracy. It is healthy for the oppositions to oppose each other and for Parliament to debate. But in order to maintain a serene and constructive democratic dialogue, we need to respect the same rules. It is the Constitution, our common good, that establishes them.
With the bill aimed at repealing the pension reform, the Libertés, Indépendants, Outre-Mer et Territoires (LIOT) group is betraying the letter and the spirit of our Constitution, it is contributing to the weakening of our institutions and to the mistrust of our fellow citizens.
While the law on pension reform has been promulgated and is in force, the first article of this bill does not respect article 40 of our Constitution: “Proposals and amendments made by members of Parliament are not admissible when their adoption would result in (…) aggravation of a public charge. » However, lowering the retirement age creates a cost of 15 billion euros (estimated cost of additional pensions by 2030) and significant revenue losses.
And if the latter can be pledged, that is to say offset by a new tax or a tax, the Constitutional Council is categorical: this is not the case with the charges. There bill that refers to a vague financing conference and which strongly increases taxes on tobacco does not solve the problem, while emphasizing that it exists!
Financial admissibility
Why an article 40? Quite simply to protect our public finances by preventing MPs, in their great generosity, from increasing spending without safeguards. The 15 billion euros of this bill would ultimately worsen the public deficit, the competitiveness of our companies or, even worse, the purchasing power of the French. Our youth does not have to pay tomorrow for the consequences of mistakes committed today.
Is the deposit of the text worth financial admissibility? In practice not, because the republican tradition wants that all the texts can be deposited. And it is only a posteriori that this control of financial admissibility is exercised.
It is article 89 of the regulations of the National Assembly amended in 2009 which allows any deputy to request the control of the financial admissibility of a bill or an amendment. This is assessed by “the Chairman of the Finance Committee or the General Rapporteur of the Finance Committee, or a member of his office designated for this purpose”.
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