The National Assembly voted on Tuesday evening, October 4, as the key goal of the unemployment insurance reform project, paving the way for a possible graduation of the duration of the compensation according to the situation on the labor market, amid protests from the left and the RN.

At the first reading, the deputies adopted the first article of this bill by 203 votes to 165. On Wednesday, they will continue the consideration of this text, which is expected in the Senate on October 25.

This article allows for the extension of the current unemployment insurance rules, as a result of a controversial reform of the first five-year Macron term. It also opens up the possibility of modulating the unemployment insurance by decree so that it is “stricter when too many jobs are unfilled, more generous when unemployment is high”in the words of Emmanuel Macron during the presidential campaign.

Entry into force in early 2023

After a consultation phase of six to eight weeks with the social partners, the government will decide by decree what form this graduation should take, with a view to coming into force in early 2023.

Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt also confirmed in the half cycle one “highly differentiated application for overseas territories”, hardest hit by unemployment. Deputies adopted an amendment by Olivier Serva (Liot) in this direction after a brief description of the order of consideration of the amendments at the meeting.

The management insists that the reform is urgent due to recruitment difficulties in sectors such as hotels, restaurants or construction. This makes it one of the conditions for reaching the goal of full employment in 2027, i.e. an unemployment rate of around 5% against 7.4% currently.

For LFI, the text “declares war on the unemployed”

Renaissance Member of Parliament Karl Olive defended one “society with full employment and work”rather than “stay at home” society when you can go to work”. Left and RN knocked one “blank check” left to the government for this reform.

This text “declare war on the unemployed”thundered the leader of the deputies LFI Mathilde Panot. “The assisted are not those whom you persecute, but those who sit at the top, to whom you bow”, she launched into the majority. RN Caroline Colombier challenged “authoritarian method” by the government.

The tone rose when the communist Sébastien Jumel blamed the Macronists for choosing as rapporteur for this text on unemployment insurance “deputy for the French in Switzerland” Marc Ferracci (elected from the 6th constituency of French residents abroad), “Can you imagine the interruption! ». Philippe Vigier (MoDem) and Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet (Renaissance) condemned “personal attacks”while all the alternates have “same legitimacy”.