the debates drag on, the federal government denies desirous to cross the finances by ordinance | EUROtoday

Strangled financially by the autumn of their revenues linked to the actual property market and by the explosion of their social spending, the departments expressed their anger on Wednesday by the voice of François Sauvadet (Union of Democrats and Independents), who counts round sixty departments in nice problem.

“You have before you this morning a president of the departments of France who is angry”mentioned the elected official from Côte-d’Or immediately, two weeks earlier than the nationwide conferences of the departments, in Albi. “In three years, the State (…) imposed 6 billion euros of additional spending on us and at the same time we lost 8.5 billion in resources”he defined throughout a press convention.

The result’s clear in response to him, for the reason that variety of departments in problem has elevated, in two years, “from 14 to around sixty”. All sorts of departments, whether or not rural or not, are in the present day involved, in response to Mr. Sauvadet, citing Aisne in addition to Gironde and Hauts-de-Seine.

The concrete penalties of the state of affairs of the departments are already being felt on the bottom, between a drastic drop in investments for roads and schools, problem financing hearth and rescue providers, discount in subsidies and help to municipalities, non-replacement of employees.

The draft finances for 2026 shouldn’t enhance the state of affairs, in response to departmental elected officers, regardless of the addition of a safeguard fund of 300 million euros offered for within the authorities copy. According to Départements de France, the departments’ social spending now represents 70% of their spending in comparison with 54% ten years in the past, pushed specifically by baby safety, but additionally incapacity and getting old. However, the affiliation estimates the contribution requested from the departments for 2026 at 575 million euros.

“The State is asking us to participate in the adjustment of public accounts on expenses that it imposes on us, it is completely incredible”underlines François Sauvadet, who says he experiences a “feeling of abandonment”. The affiliation asks the State to make sure funding for any new expenditure and requires a fund of 600 million euros to save lots of departments in problem.