At the Ministry of Health on Friday, November 17th, delivery men dropped off chocolate eggs wrapped in silver paper with small gifts. “It looks like the proposed ‘aging well’ law.”joked a visitor who saw the Christmas packages. Launched by the Macronist majority, end of 2022the text will be reconsidered in the National Assembly on Monday, November 20, after interrupting the start of the first reading in April.
“Empty Shell” The draft law (PPL) was initially criticized by the right and left opposition and suddenly turned into a legislative grab bag thanks to an amendment passed on April 13. It was approved unanimously and provides for the creation of a “Multiannual Program Act for Old Age”. This one here “will determine the development of public finances with regard to the autonomy of older people for a period of at least five years”, indicates the text.
By becoming the prelude to a future bill, the PPL has revived the hope sparked by Emmanuel Macron’s promise of old-age reform in 2018, which remained a dead letter.
However, nothing would legally oblige the government to implement such a change. But Friday November 17th, Aurore Bergé, Minister of Solidarity and Families “undertaken a moral obligation”welcomed Annie Vidal, MP (Renaissance) for Seine-Maritime and co-rapporteur of the PPL. “Yes, you are right: there needs to be an age programming law. I promise to see it through.”, the minister explained as he introduced them ” Strategy ” for the “age well” in front of an audience of older actors gathered at the ministry.
“The law could ideally be ready by the end of 2024, entrust World Aurora Berge. I would like to see coordination with elected representatives’ associations and employers’ associations. »
“Getting out of short-termism”
“ A programming law for old age is a step in the right directionwelcomes Dominique Libault, current President of the High Council for Financing Social Protection. It will allow us to move away from short-termism by forcing us to assess needs and consider funding prospectively. It is also a tool to make increasing age an important topic of democratic debate. »
The challenge remains financing. Mr Libault had estimated needs at almost 10 billion euros by 2030 in a report submitted to the government in 2019. For 2024, the government budgeted a further 2.4 billion euros in the draft law. Financing social security. But the costs of the effort could increase.
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