Régime Général

Régime Général
Name	Régime Général
Type	social security system
Country	France
Established	1945
Administered by	Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Maladie, Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Vieillesse

Régime Général

The Régime Général is the primary French social security scheme established after World War II to provide health, retirement, family and occupational risk protection to salaried workers. Originating in the post-Liberation reform period associated with the Fourth Republic and the Ordonnances of 1945, it became a cornerstone of the modern French welfare state alongside institutions such as the Sécurité sociale and the Caisse nationale d'assurance vieillesse (CNAV). The scheme interfaces with multiple public bodies, trade unions like CGT and CFDT, and employers' organisations such as Medef and CGPME.

History

The roots of the Régime Général trace to pre-war mutualist traditions exemplified by the Bismarckian system in German Empire and interwar French mutual societies like Mutualité Française, evolving through wartime administrations under the Vichy France apparatus and the revolutionary social legislation of the Ordonnances of 1945. Key milestones include creation of the CNAMTS and the CNAV, alignment with postwar reconstruction policies promoted by figures such as Pierre Laroque and Ambroise Croizat, and expansion during the Trente Glorieuses with links to employment policy from the Ministry of Labour. Subsequent decades saw interactions with supranational frameworks including the European Economic Community and later European Union legislation on social coordination, as well as judicial review by courts like the Conseil d'État and the Cour de cassation.

Legal Framework and Administration

Legal authority derives from the Code de la Sécurité Sociale and implementing texts issued by the Ministry of Social Affairs, supervised by parliamentary laws such as the Law of 1990 on social protection and reforms under administrations from President François Mitterrand to President Emmanuel Macron. Administrative oversight rests with national bodies including the Caisse Nationale de l'Assurance Maladie (CNAM), Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Vieillesse (CNAV), regional agencies like the Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie (CPAM), and inspectorates such as the Inspection générale des affaires sociales (IGAS). Jurisdictional issues have been litigated before institutions including the Conseil constitutionnel and influenced by directives from the European Court of Justice regarding coordination of social security among EU Member States.

Coverage and Eligibility

Coverage traditionally targets salaried employees within sectors represented by social partners such as Force Ouvrière (FO), including workers in industries from Renault and SNCF to small businesses represented by U2P. Eligibility rules interact with contributory records maintained by CNAV and CNAM, with special regimes for civil servants such as those under Fonction publique d'État and specific schemes for professions with orders like Ordre des Médecins and Ordre des Avocats. Cross-border workers coordinated under instruments like the Regulation 883/2004 and bilateral agreements with countries such as Switzerland and United Kingdom affect entitlement. Family benefits tie into provisions shaped by laws advocated by political actors including Léo Lagrange and organisations like Secours Catholique.

Benefits and Contributions

Benefits include retirement pensions administered via CNAV, health insurance coverage managed by CNAM with reimbursement schedules influenced by the Comité économique des produits de santé, family allowances previously handled by the Caisse d'Allocations Familiales (CAF), and workplace accident compensation connected to agencies like CNAMTS. Contribution structures require employer and employee payments set through social negotiations with Medef, CFDT, and CGT and enacted by fiscal measures from the Ministry of Finance. Benefits calculation references career averages, contribution trimesters, and actuarial tables reviewed by technical bodies such as INED and the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations.

Governance and Financing

Governance comprises tripartite management by representatives of employees and employers in governance boards like those of CNAM and CNAV, with state oversight via the Direction de la Sécurité Sociale and budgetary supervision by parliament through the budgetary process. Financing blends payroll contributions, social charges such as the Contribution Sociale Généralisée, and state subsidies determined in part by policies from cabinets of ministers like Edouard Philippe and Jean Castex. Financial sustainability has been assessed by bodies including the Cour des comptes and actuarial reports from entities like DREES influencing pension reform debates.

Recent Reforms and Controversies

Recent reform efforts under presidencies from Nicolas Sarkozy to Emmanuel Macron have spurred measures such as pension adjustment proposals, healthcare cost-control initiatives, and debates over universal schemes championed by groups like Attac and unions including Solidaires. Controversies involve disputes over deficit management, austerity measures advocated during periods of economic stress, legal challenges before the Conseil constitutionnel, and industrial actions by workers at firms like Air France and transport unions in the CGT and SNCF that highlighted tensions between social partners, parliament, and executive branches. International comparisons with systems in Germany, United Kingdom, Sweden, and Italy continue to shape policy dialogue.

Category:Social security in France