The Juppé plan is a major reform in the history of social security. It was introduced in a context of large deficits, conflict between the state and social partners, and the imminent introduction of the euro. It marks a public recognition of the importance of social protection as part of public finance. Major features include new powers given to parliament by the constitutional reform of 1996, the creation of social security finance laws, and a partnership between the state and the national social security funds in which resources and goals were aligned. The Juppé plan was accused of bringing about a nationalization of social security management, and of imposing limits on social democracy. In fact, the new approach to governance adopted in 1996 and after are no longer disputed—on the seventieth anniversary of the the establishment of social security—which shows that they met contemporary needs.