2027 Budget: Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's Comparison on Waiting Periods for Foreigners and Expatriates Questioned

As part of discussions on the 2027 budget, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu claimed, according to RFI, that a foreigner arriving legally in France can access certain social benefits without delay, unlike a French citizen returning from abroad, who must observe a waiting period.

This comparison comes as the government seeks additional savings to finalize the 2027 budget, amid tensions over public finances. According to RFI, Mr. Lecornu is proposing to introduce a waiting period before certain allowances are paid to foreigners, a measure presented as a response to what he describes as unequal treatment between foreigners and expatriate French citizens.

The Prime Minister's statement rests on the idea that the current system would favor newly arrived foreigners compared to French citizens returning from expatriation in terms of access to social benefits. RFI examined this claim by looking at the rules applicable to both population categories.

According to fact-checks reported by RFI, the situation appears more complex than the Prime Minister's comparison suggests, with rules for accessing benefits varying depending on the specific benefits in question and the administrative status of individuals, whether they are foreign nationals or French citizens returning from abroad.

The debate over waiting periods is taking place in a tight budgetary context, with the government needing to identify new sources of savings for 2027. Mr. Lecornu's proposal concerning waiting periods for foreigners is among the options being considered in this framework.