Emmanuel Macron’s speech greeted by concerts of saucepans and criticism from the unions

2023-04-17 21:42:10

Demonstrators take part in a pot concert to protest during French President Emmanuel Macron’s televised address to the nation, in Rennes, April 17, 2023. DAMIEN MEYER / AFP

A concert of noises and reproaches. While the Elysée hopes to turn the page on the political and social crisis opened by the forceps adoption of the pension reform, the televised speech delivered Monday April 17 by Emmanuel Macron was greeted by noisy demonstrations in several cities of France and the strong criticisms of the unions as opposition forces.

Read our live: Speech by Emmanuel Macron: “Nothing concrete”, “out of reality”, the opposition denounces the speech of the President of the Republic

In a joint press release issued on Monday evening, the intersyndicale estimated that the words of the President of the Republic “demonstrate that he still has not understood the anger expressed in the country” and again called for making “May 1st a day of massive, unitary and popular mobilization” against pension reform.

“This speech could have been made by ChatGPT. There was a very disembodied side”quipped on LCI the leader of the CGT, Sophie Binet. “The CFDT, one day or another, will discuss working conditions and wages. But we want a minimum of decency in this relationship. We don’t answer when we are whistled”decided for his part the secretary general of the CFDT, Laurent Berger.

The reactions of the main figures of the opposition parties are hardly more enthusiastic. “I welcome with skepticism this long catalog of pious wishes which brings neither direction nor novelty, in spite of objectives which are as laudable as they are obvious”, declared the president of the Les Républicains party Eric Ciotti, while Marine Le Pen (National Rally) crushed a “ disconnected, solitary and obtuse practice of power”. “Unreal Macron. Completely out of reality, assumes the theft of two years of freedom. Pans sound fairer »tweeted the leader of La France insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

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300 “casserolades” identified in France

In addition to criticism from the opposition and unions, Emmanuel Macron’s televised speech was indeed greeted Monday evening by concerts of pans of demonstrators heard in several cities in France.

In Paris, several rallies were scheduled and the demonstrators began shortly before 8 p.m. to make noise by banging on pots or pans with spoons or other utensils. Several hundred people gathered in front of the town hall on 10^e district, noted a journalist from Agence France-Presse, a procession which then set in motion in the capital. The demonstrators displayed numerous flags of the LFI, NPA, PCF, EELV parties or even the Attac organization or the CGT, and chanted “Macron resignation”or “Paris rise up”.

In Rennes, around a thousand people gathered in front of the Hôtel de Ville, where a large police force was in place, to give a deafening concert of saucepans and metallic noises of all kinds, noted an AFP journalist, and the end of the presidential address did not put an end to the din.

The anti-globalization NGO Attac, which had launched an appeal for such « casserolades » in front of town halls, identified “more than 300 gatherings” In France.

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