José Balanzategui officially took office as president of the National Health Fund (CNS) on Saturday, succeeding Christian Oberlé at a time of significant financial strain for the organisation.

José Balanzategui officially began his tenure as President of the National Health Fund (CNS) on Saturday, taking over from Christian Oberlé. He assumes the role at a critical time, as the CNS faces a rapidly worsening financial deficit.

The new president's immediate challenge is to navigate the fund's precarious fiscal situation. Last month, social partners at a quadripartite meeting agreed on several austerity measures in an effort to avoid planned contribution increases in 2027.

However, these cost-saving measures alone may not be sufficient. Officials have indicated that contribution hikes will become necessary within two years if the fund's legal reserve ceiling is exceeded.

RTL

(from left to right) Christian Oberlé, former president of the CNS; Martine Deprez, Minister of Health and Social Security; José Balanzategui, new president of the CNS. / © M3S

Balanzategui brings considerable experience to the position, having worked in the health insurance sector since 1998. He has served as First Management Advisor at the CNS since 2012 and previously held the role of Acting President for a month in 2018.

His professional background also includes experience at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Development, prior to joining the public sector. Academically, Balanzategui is a graduate of Panthéon-Sorbonne University, holding a Master of Advanced Studies (DEA) in industrial and service economics, as well as a master's degree in economic sciences.