French Government Proposes Key Concessions to End Doctors' Strike

After a ten-day strike by liberal doctors across France, the government revealed a series of proposals on January 16, 2026, aimed at resuming dialogue and addressing the physicians' core demands. Central to these concessions is the abandonment of mandatory prescription reduction targets imposed by the Assurance-maladie, a major point of contention for the doctors' unions.

The Ministry of Health announced it will propose an amendment to eliminate the controversial Mise sous objectifs (MSO) procedure from the current parliamentary draft law targeting social and fiscal fraud, which had been previously approved by the Senate in December. A dedicated mission will also be launched to assess and improve MSO's transparency and functioning.

Additionally, provisions permitting unilateral medical fee reductions introduced in the 2026 Social Security financing law will be removed. These fee reductions were one of the primary triggers of the strike. Furthermore, the government will implement a long-delayed support and information service for new doctors, initially approved in the 2023 Social Security budget but never executed.

Health Minister Stéphanie Rist emphasized to France Inter that these measures are not a retreat but a response to doctors who felt unfairly stigmatized by the inclusion of these policies in fraud prevention legislation. She stressed that the government's goal remains to rebuild trust and collaborative relationships with the medical profession while carefully managing healthcare expenditures.

This move by the Ministry of Health effectively validates the main grievances raised by the striking doctors and represents a significant policy shift after an earlier setback during the November debates on the Social Security Financing Bill. The acceptance of the strike's demands marks a critical step toward ending the nationwide disruption in healthcare services caused by the doctors' mobilization.