THE QUESTION. In the process of being definitively adopted in Parliament, the massive emergency plan of 45 billion euros deployed by the government to deal with the coronavirus crisis is not unanimous. It is in particular the envelope of 2 billion euros devoted to health care which is considered too low by the extreme left of the political spectrum. "For us it is clearly insufficient, we will ask that we can go to 10 billion," lambasted LFI deputy Adrien Quatennens on Sud Radio, Thursday. 2 billion out of 45 billion euros, is that enough?
CHECK. The government has actually decided to devote only 2 billion euros to finance health control as part of its plan to more than 45 billion. It should be noted, however, that this plan actually includes 11.5 billion in dry spending that will ultimately weigh on the public deficit. The remaining 35 billion is aimed at deferring social and tax charges for companies which, if paid before the end of the year, will have no impact on public finances. Result of the races: in terms of sound and stumbling expenses, the executive therefore plans to allocate 2 billion on 11.5 billion euros. These are social expenditure and, more specifically, an increase in the National Objective for health insurance expenditure (Ondam) which was set at ... 205.6 billion euros for 2020 in the law of December 24, 2019 of social security funding.
A targeted envelope
This emergency envelope is targeted. It must finance the purchase of care equipment such as masks and respirators. It is also dedicated to paying caregivers for overtime. Finally, a little over a billion is spent on daily allowances, the government is told. Clearly, it is to finance sick leaves put in place in an emergency for people who are confined or who cannot have their children looked after.
Whether these 2 billion euros will not be enough to respond to the health crisis, no one can say categorically as the situation changes from day to day. On the side of the French Hospital Federation (FHF), we do not dare to provide a clear answer. The only certainty: "it figures very quickly," said a member of the Federation. And to indicate that in normal times, the Hospital is already asking the government to increase investments by one billion euros each year.
Meeting needs at all costs
"We must consider this as a first envelope," said the president of the Assembly's finance committee, Eric Woerth (LR). "I can reasonably think that the crisis on health devices will cost more than 2 billion euros," said the MP.
Anyway, the state will pay, hammered the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron. And Thursday, during the debate in the National Assembly on emergency plans, Olivier Dussopt, the Secretary of State to the Minister of Action and Public Accounts, assured the deputies that "Ondam is a goal and we will surpass it to meet needs. ”