Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has unveiled a plan to cut unemployment benefits in France in a bid to push through President Emmanuel Macron’s economic reforms and get people back into the workforce.
The review will reduce the maximum duration of social security from 18 months to 15 months and will also extend the period of work required to qualify for benefits, Attal said. interview in the Sunday edition of La Tribune. The government wants the changes to come into force on December 1.
According to Attal, the changes are not aimed at saving money, but at attracting more French people to jobs, which in turn will fund the benefits system.
As a result, costs are expected to gradually fall over the next few years, resulting in annual savings of 3.6 billion euros ($3.9 billion) and resulting in 90,000 more people employed, the company told reporters. Sunday Councilor Attalus. Workers will be considered “senior” at age 57 and eligible for higher benefits, although less generous than in the past.
These measures followed France. received a warning about its high debt burden to the International Monetary Fund, which called for more efforts to bring the budget deficit under control. The country’s financial watchdog said it plans to do so. lack of trust and consistency.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the government will do “whatever is necessary” to meet its commitment to bring the budget deficit to the European Union limit of 3% of gross domestic product in 2027.
The French vote in European Parliament elections in two weeks. Polls show Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party will win by a margin of big margin. She has been an outspoken critic of Macron’s labor reforms, which she says penalize workers.