Overview
- The Assemblée nationale passed the 2026 Social Security financing bill by 247 votes to 234 without using article 49.3, relying on Renaissance and decisive Socialist backing as LR and Horizons split and the RN voted against.
- The adopted text suspends the rise in the legal retirement age to 64 until January 1, 2028, with protections for certain cohorts, and keeps several pension and family provisions.
- Health spending growth (ONDAM) was raised to 3.1% with extra billions for city care and hospitals, while revenue measures include a higher CSG on capital (to 10.6%), a levy on complementary insurers, and reduced employer exemptions.
- The package deepens the Social Security shortfall, leaving about €19.4 billion to finance and adding roughly €4.5 billion of pressure to the state budget, according to Finance Minister Roland Lescure.
- Next steps include a right‑led Senate review likely to rewrite parts, a commission mixte paritaire around December 19, a possible final Assembly vote soon after, and a government‑signaled fallback of a special law if no budget deal is reached by December 31.