Trial balloon or real ambition? The Élysée announced on Monday that Emmanuel Macron was planning to pass the pension reform as part of the social security finance bill (PLFSS) this fall. The reform would thus be passed before the end of the year and applicable from next summer, at the risk of offending the opposition and the unions. The morning shows on Tuesday were a good illustration of this.
The right is historically in favor of pension reform. Senator Bruno Retailleau has also defended on Sud Radio the decline in the legal age of departure “if we want to preserve the quality of life, the purchasing power of our retirees”. But on the form, this possible acceleration of the calendar gets stuck. “On the method, the president must respect the social dialogue in this country as a minimum”, thundered on France Info the leader of the group Les Républicains in the National Assembly, Olivier Marleix, who “asks the President of the Republic to respect the social partners “.
Same tone on the side of Marine Le Pen, a little earlier in the morning. “There is absolutely no urgency to tackle pensions, at a time when the French are facing major purchasing power difficulties”, estimated on France 2 the former RN candidate in the presidential election.
“Total opposition on our part”
“If Emmanuel Macron uses the social security budget to attack pensions, that is to say, in reality to circumvent a debate on this subject, he will find himself confronted with total opposition on our part. We will defend pensions, let him be careful in these maneuvers to circumvent democracy, ”she then tackled.
“Where is the emergency? “, also falsely wondered about LCI the rebellious deputy Clémentine Autain. The unions, for their part, had already expressed their opposition to such a rapid timetable. “It would be a declaration of war, and proof that, CNR (National Council for Refoundation) or not, Emmanuel Macron’s vision of social dialogue will be the same as during the previous five-year term”, thundered Monday Frédéric Souillot, secretary general of Force Ouvrière.
Guest of France Info on Tuesday morning, the general delegate of La République en Marche, Stanislas Guérini, promised that the pension reform would be “carried out with the social partners” by the Minister of Labor, Olivier Dussopt. But “the course is extremely clear: we are going to have to work longer”.