Controversial 2025 Anti-Fraud Bill and 2026 Budget Cuts Spark Outcry Over Impact on France's Poor
France's 2025 anti-fraud bill and 2026 budget cuts face criticism for worsening conditions for the poor and threatening social services.
- • Government unveils a bill to combat social and tax fraud, emphasizing its necessity for budget security.
- • Critics argue the bill is oppressive and harmful to the poor; others see it as minor.
- • 2026 budget proposes significant cuts to social programs, risking 90,000 job losses in the social sector.
- • Benoît Hamon calls for better funding of social initiatives and taxation reform to address inequality.
Key details
The French government has recently introduced a contentious bill targeting social and tax fraud alongside unveiling its 2026 budget, both raising serious concerns about adverse effects on vulnerable populations. On October 14, 2025, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu presented the anti-fraud bill, emphasizing its role in adapting legal tools to combat increasingly sophisticated fraud that undermines public finances and social security funding. The government stresses the bill's importance in securing state budget resources, yet critics argue that the measures may disproportionately oppress the poor and deepen social inequalities.
Concurrently, the 2026 budget has drawn sharp criticism from social leaders like Benoît Hamon, president of ESS France, who highlights drastic cuts in funding that threaten essential social services. Key reductions include 90 million euros cut from civic services, 20 million euros from urban policy, and 44 million euros from popular education, all vital to supporting nearly 10 million impoverished French citizens. Hamon warns that these austerity measures could lead to up to 90,000 job losses in the social sector and 60,000 jobs lost in programs aiding disadvantaged workers, severely impacting programs like insertion through economic activity (IAE), which annually assists 300,000 people.
Hamon condemned the budget’s contradictions, noting the government’s proclaimed dedication to employment sits uneasily alongside the cuts to critical social programs. He criticized superficial measures such as increasing tax deductions for donations, urging instead a reallocation of large business aid budgets—totaling 211 billion euros—to bolster social and solidarity economy (ESS) initiatives. Furthermore, Hamon advocates for tax reforms targeting wealth inequality, including adopting models like the Zucman tax, to better support social inclusion.
The government's anti-fraud bill and the 2026 budget thus set the stage for contentious political debates, reflecting deep divisions over balancing fiscal responsibility and protecting France's most vulnerable citizens. The bills represent a crossroads where the fight against financial fraud and fiscal austerity measures must be weighed against social equity concerns, with significant implications expected in the coming months.
"One cannot claim to prioritize employment while cutting the very programs that support social inclusion and job creation," Hamon stated, underscoring the growing discontent among social advocates regarding the government’s fiscal direction. As these measures progress through legislative processes, their impact on France’s social safety net and the broader public remains a critical issue.