France Intends To Reduce Unemployment Benefits Amid Its Worsening Debt Burden

Prime Minister: Reducing the maximum period of social care from 18 to 15 months

The government aims for the changes to take effect on December 1. Attal said the changes were not a cost-saving measure, but aimed at attracting more French people into the workforce to fund the benefits system.

Debt burden

These measures come after France received a warning about its high debt burden from the International Monetary Fund, which called for greater efforts to control the budget deficit, while the country’s financial supervisory authority declared that plans to do so lack credibility and coherence.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire stressed that the government will do “whatever is necessary” to fulfill its pledge to reduce the budget deficit in line with the European Union limit of 3% of GDP in 2027.

Two weeks later, France votes in the European Parliament elections, where opinion polls indicate a victory by a large margin for the right-wing National Rally party led by Marine Le Pen, who is a staunch critic of Macron’s reforms and is considered to be punishing workers.

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Sylvia Klimaki

Focusing on climate, social impact, entrepreneurship. Have conducted over 380 interviews to date for print, online and broadcast media. She is based in London, United Kingdom.

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