There is the official line. Carry at arm’s length a pension reform rejected in the street, denounce the violence, hope that the demonstrators get tired. Hold, hold, hold… “The country cannot be at a standstill. (…) we keep moving forward,” persuaded Emmanuel Macron, Friday March 24, at the end of the European Council in Brussels. And then there are the facts. Transport still seriously disrupted, spontaneous gatherings, the Council of Europe which is alarmed by a “excessive use of force” in France… The executive is moving towards a new weekend under high tension before the tenth day of mobilization, Tuesday, March 28. Proof of the state of nervousness of the country, France officially announced on Friday the postponement of the state visit of King Charles III. Too many security risks, too many political dangers with offbeat images of official dinners under the golds of the Republic.
Hour after hour, the Elysée, Matignon, ministers and deputies seek a way out of the impasse. By phosphorizing on the state of mind of Emmanuel Macron, a concentrated but also distant President of the Republic, whom some of his first companions describe in a « solitude affective »a man “isolated by function”. A man totally mysterious about his intentions. Behind this impression of procrastination, is he cornered? Many believe that the key to unblocking the situation will be played out in the very complicated relationship between the head of state and Laurent Berger, general secretary of the CFDT.
On Friday morning, the reformist union leader proposed to ” pause “ reform. “We give ourselves six months to look and on work, and on pensions how to get things right. We will find a compromise if possible., he said on RTL. A glimmer of hope for many macronists who have always bet on the fact that the CFDT would not let the violence settle and return to the negotiating table. Immediate response from Macon to Brussels. « I indicated our availability to move forward on subjects such as professional wear and tear, end of career, retraining, career development, working conditions, remuneration in certain brancheshe detailed during a press conference. And so I am at the disposal of the intersyndicale if it wishes to come and meet me to make progress on all these subjects. »
The Elysée specifies that this meeting can take place in the weeks to come before the decision of the Constitutional Council on the text. Matignon confirms “the interest in speaking to each other again officially”. A pas de deux that solves nothing: Mr. Berger asks for a « pause » while the Head of State wants to see his text continue to “walk” to the Constitutional Council. “There needs to be a dialogue”, insists his entourage. But the trade unionist, key man in this conflict often very critical of the haughty attitude of Mr. Macron, and this President of the Republic, who despised the intermediary bodies, are they ready to converge? Tuesday, March 21, ministers suggested that he reach out to the reformist centrals during his interview the next day. On TF1 and France 2, the President of the Republic, stiff, will accuse the unions, including the CFDT, of not having “offered a compromise”.
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