Elisabeth Borne stays the course… and a certain vagueness

Those who were waiting for a clarification about the pension reform were left unsatisfied. In the “government statement” that she pronounced, Wednesday, July 6, in the National Assembly, Elisabeth Borne indicated that this site was still included in the specifications of the executive. But the Prime Minister did not provide any new details on the content of the measures or on the date from which they will be drawn up, contenting herself with reaffirming her desire for dialogue. Above all, no reference was made to the idea of ​​pushing back to 65 the age of opening of rights to a pension. As if this promise written into Emmanuel Macron’s program was no longer a target to be achieved.

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M^me Borne devoted a little more than two minutes to this highly flammable project, contested by a clear majority of the population. During this sequence, she was – unsurprisingly – vigorously challenged by left-wing deputies. Their protests were so vehement that the head of government glanced at Yaël Braun-Pivet to invite him to bring some calm. The President of the National Assembly immediately came to her rescue.

“Unfinished” reform

“Our country needs a reform of its pension system”, pleaded the Prime Minister. Which means that “we will have to work gradually a little longer”she added, taking care not to mention the word “economy”, even though one of the aims of the operation is to reduce the share of pension expenditure in national wealth and to restore the financial balance of the system.

The arguments put forward were identical to those of Mr. Macron during the presidential campaign: to guarantee “sustainability” pay-as-you-go schemes, contribute to the ” prosperity “ of the country by increasing the number of people in employment – ​​which ultimately promotes growth – freeing up resources for “new rights” (such as the minimum pension of 1,100 euros for women and men who have completed a “full career”), etc.

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M^me Borne explained that this transformation “will not be uniform”. The case of people entering working life at a very young age and of workers who have performed arduous tasks will be taken into account. ” We must (…) to ensure that our compatriots do not end their careers broken”, she hammered. It will also take “watch” to retention “seniors”she pointed out.

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