With a minute in advance, Elisabeth Borne advances towards the desk installed at Matignon and, at the same time, towards “what is most dangerous for her”, in the words of a pillar of the majority. By presenting, this Tuesday, January 10, the pension reform wanted by Emmanuel Macron, the Prime Minister knows it: she is playing big.
Not that the suspense was in order. After months of procrastination and divisions, the main measures had been deflowered in recent days: legal retirement age pushed back to 64 years for people born from January 1, 1968, acceleration of the extension of the contribution period (43 years in 2027), special regimes abolished and minimum pension raised to 85% of the minimum wage for all retirees, current and incoming… No announcement effect, therefore. No sleeves, for that matter. But “confirmation,” said a Walker politely.
VIDEO. Pension reform: legal age, minimum pension, special schemes… Elisabeth Borne’s announcements
“The challenge, for her this Tuesday, was the political message to the French”, evacuates, in any case, a government communicator. Clearly, kick off the battle of opinion, to which the macronists intend to devote themselves by the arrival of the text in the Council of Ministers, on January 23. “We want to respond to fears and convince,” plant Borne. A challenge as the reform is unpopular, in particular the postponement of the legal age rejected by the vast majority of French people in the polls.
Hence the multiple behind-the-scenes meetings over the past 48 hours, aimed at putting the troops square. Until a “brief” issued shortly before 8 p.m. at Matignon, by the Prime Minister’s chief of staff to the Marchers parliamentarians so, stipulated in the invitation, that they have “all the elements of language”. Until this meeting, given by the Prime Minister to the deputies of the three majority groups, Renaissance, MoDem, Horizons, this Wednesday morning – “a test for the cohesion of the majority”, blows a ministerial adviser.
Hence, also, the way in which Éric Ciotti’s Les Républicains were pampered. Multi-cited by Borne in its presentation and “satisfied” (Olivier Marleix, dixit) – even if they will play the greedy – to find there a quasi-copy of their own copy. Privilege of those who will ultimately be the only allies of the executive who, without them, would have no choice but to draw a 49.3.
First day of strike on January 19
A dark scenario that the Prime Minister wants to avoid at all costs, even if the government has planned everything: the text will deliberately pass through the amending budget of the Secu, which allows to have recourse to this fatal weapon. To the greatest annoyance of the opposition, starting with the Insoumis, who plan to table a thousand amendments per deputy. “Let’s not get locked into the parliamentary battle against the obstruction of LFI, forgetting to talk to the French!” “, has already warned Renaissance deputies Franck Riester, the Minister of Relations with Parliament.
French people who will have to be “convinced”, therefore, both of the merits of the savings measures, but also of the “ambition for justice and progress” displayed by the head of government. Which was immediately contradicted on this point by the leaders of the eight major unions, including the CFDT that the executive (in vain) tried to coax. Unanimously, and soon followed by all the left-wing parties, they called for a first day of strikes and demonstrations, on January 19.
Élisabeth Borne did not think so well when she evoked from the start of her press conference, “a moment of truth”. “There is a tipping point today, agrees Aurore Bergé. That’s it, the reform is getting into reality. And the battle is on.