2023-11-10 18:09:00
When Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced her decision to “increase state aid to departments to 100 million euros” to finance aid for unaccompanied minors, the audience shuddered, without applauding. And for good reason: the departmental councils, meeting at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on November 8 and 9 for their annual meetings, were expecting a stronger gesture from the government.
The promise of the establishment of another support fund of 100 million euros, this time for the benefit of around fifteen departments whose financial situation is particularly delicate, did not provoke any reaction from the public present.
This did not discourage the tenant of Matignon who promised a third envelope of around 150 million euros to finance the autonomy of the elderly. A payment made up of a dozen financial flows via the National Solidarity Fund for Autonomy (CNSA) and will have to be simplified, continued Elisabeth Borne.
More than 50 departments weighed down by the drop in notary fees
Three envelopes totaling 350 million euros but which do not satisfy the departments, faced with very tense financial situations, who were hoping for more hard cash from the government.
“Receipts from transfer rights for consideration (DMTO) are down by 20% to 30%,” calculated the president (LR) of the departmental council of Haute-Marne, in reference to these revenues, better known under the term notary fees, down due to the housing crisis which is hampering real estate transactions.
« From around ten departments in difficulty last year, we increased to more than 50 this year. There are no common points between these departments, which are right or left, rural or urban. », continued the spokesperson for the group of the right, the center and the independents of the Assembly of the Departments of France (ADF).
“Emergency and safeguard funds are no longer adequate to meet our needs,” added socialist Jean-Luc Gleyze, president of the Gironde departmental council.
Disappointment on the safeguard fund
Many departmental council bosses were in fact betting on the safeguard fund, supplied both by a surplus of national VAT revenue and by the departments themselves, serving those in great difficulty. Except that the account is not there, regret the main stakeholders.
« We were expecting a contribution of 100 million euros. A priori, the State contribution will amount to 53 million euros, at parity. It’s an effort but it’s still a disappointment. », Reacted Jean-Léonce Dupont, president (UDI) of the Finance commission of the ADF and president of the Calvados department, interviewed by La Tribune.
And to continue: “This disappointment might be reduced by the fact that it is not a “one shot” support, but a long-term support from the State, which might be decreasing depending on the positive development. from the fund supplied by the departments”,
Especially since the list of around fifteen departments in great difficulty, and which might benefit from it, has not (yet?) been distributed.
A palpable tension
In a hemicycle reduced to silence, for lack of debate with the Prime Minister, the distrust towards the government was palpable. In their resolution voted almost unanimously (558 votes for, 4 once morest, 18 abstentions) at the end of these two days of meetings in Strasbourg, the departments of France first expressed their anger at a broken down decentralization, and faced with a financial situation which places them “ sous perfusion permanente ».
The presidents of the departmental council castigate “ poverty of means » which are granted to them to carry out their missions – welcoming unaccompanied minors, helping the elderly to be independent -, and say they are obliged to “ abandon their proactive policies to the detriment of innovation ».
The departments denounce “ the shift of deficiencies from the State to the departmental councils ” and the ” Jacobin fallacy » which results from it, and propose to “ finally consider decentralization as a solution to modernize both the organization of the Republic and our democracy ».
The Woerth mission in the viewfinder
In this six-page offensive text, the departments also target the mission entrusted by Emmanuel Macron to the Renaissance deputy for Oise Eric Woerth, responsible for a mission relating to decentralization. The former minister of Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy will be responsible in particular for exploring a simplification of the territorial organization, “ with a view to reducing the number of decentralized strata which are currently too numerous and to better link them together ».
An avenue that he would have already ruled out according to the president (LR) of the association of mayors of France, David Lisnard, who spoke to him on the phone at the beginning of the week, but the departmental councils, undoubtedly feeling threatened in their existence, were quick to open a counterfire.
« We expect the government to reiterate its confidence in local authorities, and to move away from this posture of distrust. », Warns Chaynesse Khirouni, president (PS) of the departmental council of Meurthe-et-Moselle.
Asked by La Tribune, the elected official deplores “thea desire to recentralize public policies, particularly on child protection. We must give departments the means to act, to regain financial autonomy, fiscal levers ».
« The personalized autonomy allowance, the disability compensation benefit and the active solidarity income are not compensated up to what the State owes us », enchaîne Chaynesse Khirouni.
« On personalized autonomy assistance (APA), Meurthe-et-Moselle only receives 47% compensation. This is largely insufficient », she warns.
Scrape the bottoms of drawers
While waiting for equalization, certain departments are therefore obliged to scrape the bottom of the drawers. The president (UDI) of the Assembly of Departments of France and president of the Côte d’Or, François Sauvadet reported to Elisabeth Borne the testimony of the director of an Ehpad who was “not no longer able to pay salaries at the end of the month ».
The departmental councils are therefore asking for more financial and fiscal autonomy. “ The financial resources of local authorities must come from local fees and taxes », insisted Nicolas Lacroix, highlighting what departmental elected officials do not dare to admit: asphyxiation. “We are going to resist and you will not be able to get past it. With us, 49.3 doesn’t exist”, warned the president (LR) of Haute-Marne. At this precise moment, the assembly applauded.
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