This is a first signal sent to the right-wing benches. Questioned Tuesday by the president of the LR group, Olivier Marleix, during questions to the government, Gabriel Attal swore that he would honor Élisabeth Borne’s promise to reform State Medical Aid (AME). “I will have the opportunity to present my general policy declaration and we will have the opportunity to move forward on a certain number of projects together. I am lucid about the difficulties (of the French) and totally mobilized to respond to them (…). Élisabeth Borne, my predecessor actually sent a letter making a commitment, this commitment will be kept,” he said, after being warmly applauded by the majority troops.
On Sunday, government spokesperson Prisca Thevenot had already assured that there was no “taboo subject” regarding the AME. Before specifying that it was rather a question of “looking at” this aid “on the basis of the conclusions which were made by the report” of the former socialist minister Claude Évin, and of the prefect Patrick Stefanini, figure of LR. The conclusions of the report, commissioned by the former Prime Minister, consider that the AME is a “useful health system” and “generally controlled”, but which “deserves to be adapted”.
The overhaul of this controversial system, which allows foreigners in an irregular situation to benefit from free access to care, was one of the standoffs led by LR during the debates on the immigration bill. The Senate, with a right-wing majority, also voted last November for an amendment to remove the AME and replace it with “emergency medical aid” (AMU). Before this idea was finally removed from the final text, to avoid making it a “legislative rider” likely to be censored by the Constitutional Council.
In a letter then addressed to President LR of the Senate, Gérard Larcher, and revealed at the time by Le Figaro, Élisabeth Borne promised to look into the subject to change things. The former Prime Minister admitted that the AME must “regularly be evaluated to verify its relevance and effectiveness”. The sign of a hardening, which had contributed to fueling the revolt of the left wing of the majority and the government.
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