The government clarifies its position on unpaid work proposals and taxing retirees

The government spokesperson, Sophie Primas, clarified on Wednesday, January 22, that the recent proposals from some ministers regarding the introduction of seven additional hours of unpaid work and the taxation of certain retirees do not represent, at this stage, the official position of the government. These ideas, put forward respectively by the Minister for Solidarity, Catherine Vautrin, and the Minister of Labour, Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet, have sparked criticism both from the opposition and some members of the ruling majority. They have fueled an intense public debate on the financing of social protection and reducing the Social Security deficit.

Proposals under discussion within the executive

Sophie Primas specified that these proposals are still under discussion, emphasizing that “this is not the official position of the government” at this stage. She referred to the ongoing parliamentary debates on the 2025 budget for further developments. In response to criticisms about a supposed discord within the government, she chose to refer to a “polyphony” rather than a “cacophony,” explaining that each minister brings ideas and hypotheses. She added that the final decision on these sensitive issues will be made by the Prime Minister and Parliament.

Parliamentary discussions, the next crucial step

Regarding Catherine Vautrin’s proposal for seven additional unpaid hours, which was voted by the Senate in November as part of the PLFSS but abandoned during the joint committee session, her team estimates that this measure could generate up to 2.5 billion euros annually. Meanwhile, Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet has suggested making wealthier retirees contribute to supporting Social Security, a proposal that remains under discussion as well.

The government is therefore awaiting parliamentary discussions to make decisions on these measures, which could have significant impacts on public finances.