The Minister of Health François Braun announced Monday before the National Assembly an additional envelope of 543 million euros for the hospital in 2022, due to “additional costs linked to Covid”. This extension, via a government amendment to the Social Security draft budget, “is part of our unprecedented effort to support the hospital and all the staff who operate it,” said the minister. It is in addition to some 570 million euros for the hospital presented to the Senate in order in particular to “deal with the early epidemic of bronchiolitis”, specified François Braun.
The executive “in denial of inflation”
Socialist deputy Jérôme Guedj then defended a motion for the prior rejection of the draft budget, examined in a new reading, stressing that these additions are “a little bit of DIY” in the face of “the collapse of the public hospital”, and that the executive remains, according to him, “in denial of inflation”.
The Minister of Health boasted of a draft budget “of commitment and responsibility”, which also provides for preventive health measures and a year of internship as a priority in medical deserts for general practitioners in training. Some 800 amendments have been tabled. But according to parliamentary sources, the debates could be cut short, Elisabeth Borne, deprived of an absolute majority, preparing to draw once again the constitutional weapon of 49.3 to have the text adopted without a vote.
A highly criticized budget
“This budget is that of the government, but it is also that of national representation”, insisted François Braun, without convincing the deputies. Jérôme Guedj said his “frustration” with a government that will only “peck here and there” to retain amendments from the opposition.
“The hasty abuse of 49.3 will harm the health of our parliamentary democracy,” predicted Thibault Bazin (LR).
Source: Europe1
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