“Scam”, “quiet cynicism”: the unemployment insurance reform announced by Gabriel Attal makes opposition jump

Having fallen on Tuesday, INSEE's ax quickly gave way to that of Gabriel Attal on Wednesday. The day after the public deficit slipped to 5.5% of GDP for 2023, the Prime Minister went to the set of TF1's “20 Heures” to reveal the government's decisions, recorded earlier in the day during a seminar on work at Matignon. Adopting the semantics of “rigor”, hitherto taboo, the head of government has committed to restoring public finances by 2027.

Although he refused to increase taxes for the middle classes and businesses, Gabriel Attal decided to look for savings in unemployment insurance. Banking on entry into force “in the fall”, the former Minister of Public Accounts announced a reform “this year”. The Matignon tenant put “several parameters” on the table, including the duration of the compensation and the working time to benefit from unemployment. While confiding his “preference” for the evolution of the amount of unemployment compensation.

The Prime Minister certainly tried to forestall criticism. “My objective is not to attack a particular individual or the unemployed, it is to move a system to encourage more people to return to work,” he defended himself. Without managing to prevent opposition from stepping up. In the running for the European elections, the number 1 on the list of La France insoumise (LFI) Manon Aubry thus called on voters to submit an insoumise ballot on June 9 to reject a reform which “picks the pockets of the unemployed rather only profiteers.”

Same story with his comrade in the National Assembly, Adrien Quatennens who points to the “rich people spared” by Gabriel Attal’s announcements. “The French will toast again. Enough ! Unemployment is suffering. There are fewer unfilled jobs than unemployed people. Long live the people’s “XXL clean square” operation against this government of the rich, by the rich, for the rich!”, wrote the Northern MP on X.

Among the communists, they deliver a scathing “summary of Attal at 8 p.m.”. “The poor are responsible for their poverty, the unemployed for their unemployment, the sick for their illness. On the other hand, the big companies will be able to continue to gorge themselves in peace,” said Senator Ian Brossat on X.

While the national secretary of the PCF Fabien Roussel attacked the “gifts to the wealthy and to shareholders” made by the government. The same indignation is heard from the boss of the Socialist Party (PS) Olivier Faure: “While the CAC 40 is popping champagne against the backdrop of record dividends, Attal points out those who had the misfortune of losing their jobs. Attal, quiet cynicism.”

On the right, where there are calls for a reform of the State and the social model, Olivier Marleix, leader of the Les Républicains (LR) deputies, regretted an absurd budget cut. “In 2024 unemployment insurance will be in excess of €3 billion. Where do you think the government is proposing an effort? Elderly unemployed, medical transport… yes,” he quipped. And he added, concisely: “State life… nothing.”

Same observation from the boss of the National Rally (RN) deputies: “The regime is in surplus, there is no need to reform it!”, Marine Le Pen was indignant. Which denounces “a scam which has only one goal: to pick the pockets of the French to replenish the State accounts which are in deficit because of the incompetence of the Government.” His right arm prefers to focus on the party's budgetary proposals. “Nothing about reserving social assistance for French citizens only, nothing about unlocking growth. It’s both petty and insufficient,” wrote the penist headliner for the Europeans, Jordan Bardella, on X.

Carrier of a dissonant voice, the head of the Reconquest list! Marion Maréchal does not find it “shocking that we can affect the duration of compensation” of unemployment insurance.