At the Elysée, Wednesday, December 7, dinner had an air of deja vu. The menu, it is true, was almost identical to that offered to the guests two months earlier. Just like the agenda that was proposed to them: the retreats. But the Head of State wanted to “calibrate the method”, explains a participant of these feasts.
Emmanuel Macron, his prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, the president of the MoDem, François Bayrou, the secretary general of the Renaissance party, Stéphane Séjourné, the leaders of the macronists in the Assembly and the Senate, Aurore Bergé and François Patriat, as well as the Horizons mayor of Le Havre, Edouard Philippe, supported by the most active of retired politicians, Richard Ferrand, former President of the National Assembly, therefore found themselves in one of the lounges on the ground floor of the Elysée to speak, once again, of the essential reform and, perhaps, the most delicate of the second five-year term. At their side, the Minister of Labor, Olivier Dussopt.
At the end of September, Emmanuel Macron had given in, in particular, to François Bayrou who, fearing a social discontent, had pleaded to allow time for consultation. Two months have passed and if crossing points have been identified on long careers, minimum pensions, employment of seniors, the question of raising the retirement age to 65 remains a red line. These two months have been useful, argued the Prime Minister. But waiting more would be useless, thinks the president.
“Calendar Stopped”
Returning from an international tour, Emmanuel Macron was described as ” traced back “, « vif » et “combative”. The Elysian supper was to demonstrate it: the head of state no longer wants to procrastinate. “I remain fully mobilized on national issues”he warned Paris Match on the presidential plane which brought him back from Louisiana, to the United States. The mayor of Pau may have persisted, demanding more “pedagogy” concerning a reform that the population has, in its eyes, still not understood, no reprieve seems possible. Despite the use of Latin quotations supposed to argue his positions, the centrist was asked by the head of state to do this text explanation work himself, like the other members of the majority. “You are my guests”slipped the tenant of the Elysée, a bit annoyed.
The calendar is therefore fixed. The reform will be presented to the Council of Ministers on January 11 or 18, 2023 for a passage to the Assembly then to the Senate between February and March and an entry into force scheduled for the summer of 2023.
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