Strikes in recent weeks have added to the government’s concern over the pension reform. In a flammable environment, between inflation and rising electricity bills, the presidential majority observes the social climate like milk on fire. With one fear: not seeing the next crisis coming a few days before a yellow vest demonstration in Paris.
“We feel a lot of tension on the ground and we bring it up. We can give the sums we want to certain corporatist demands, we see that the anger remains,” the deputy Guillaume Karasbian (Renaissance) who heads the Affairs Committee, admits to BFMTV.com Economics of the Assembly.
“A permanent feeling of mistrust”
The diagnosis is shared by the head of the Macronist senators François Patriat who evokes a “permanent feeling of mistrust towards the French”.
In recent weeks, social tension has risen a notch with the strike of the SNCF train masters, organized through a Facebook group, far removed from the unions. The general practitioners’ strike was carried out for its part under the aegis of a group that calls itself apolitical.
Suffice it to say that if Elisabeth Borne continues to receive the social partners to convince them to extend the retirement age, they seem increasingly overwhelmed by these hybrid mobilizations.
“An anger we wouldn’t necessarily have seen coming”
What prevents possible negotiations in the event of a large social movement and worries in high places without really believing in a great return of the yellow vests.
“This is not the first call to retake roundabouts that has not been successful in recent years. No, what worries us rather, it would rather be an anger that we had not felt giving rise to demonstrations, ”acknowledges a ministerial adviser.
Proof that the government is taking seriously a potential spark that could ignite the situation: its speed in responding to the concerns of bakers, hard hit by rising electricity prices.
Macron calls on his ministers to “be vigilant”
In less than a day, while this profession was scheduled to meet in Paris on January 23, he obtained the staggering of taxes and social security contributions as well as the termination of his contract free of charge in the event of a “prohibitive” price increase. .
“We are not afraid of a social outbreak but we have a theme: listening to the demands and supporting the French and the professions that could put the key under the door,” the deputy and spokesperson for the Renaissance wants to convince. group, Prisca Thévenot.
While only 21% of the French say they are in favor of extending the retirement age according to an Elabe poll for BFMTV, the government wants to compromise. Emmanuel Macron thus asked his government during the first Council of Ministers of the year this Wednesday to “be attentive to the French”. Enough to appease a country grappling with enduring inflation?
“Our luck is that there is no global slogan”
“As soon as we propose a reform, they tell us about a social explosion, the return of the yellow vests. You have to inform about all the aid, and reassure. We will arrive ”, tries to convince a ministerial adviser.
“We have an opportunity, underlines a party executive. It is that, for the moment, doctors, bakers, controllers have specific requests that only concern their profession. We do not have a global slogan,” underlines a party executive.
As if to show its serenity, the police headquarters does not show particular concern as the day of mobilization of the yellow vests approaches this Saturday.
Source: BFM TV
