A very followed day of strike on Thursday of unanimous opinion, a youth march this Saturday in Paris, before a new national mobilization to the call of the inter-union -united for the first time in twelve years- on January 31. It is an understatement to say that the pension reform bill drawn up by the government is in dispute. It is even rejected by a large majority of French people according to opinion polls.
Gabriel Attal, Minister Delegate for Public Accounts, however tried to convince the executive of the good intentions in the matter in an interview with the Parisian this Saturday and put it online at night.
“Nothing is decided” according to Gabriel Attal
The minister assured first of all that the Government is aware of the challenges of the government project for the daily life of the French, and of the concern it causes.
“There are concerns, doubts, opposition, among many French people. We are asking for an effort, it must be recognized, ”he introduced. Gabriel Attal then said: “Why are we doing this reform? To save our system. Who are we doing it for? Especially for those who work hard and have no other wealth than the fruit of their labor.”
“It’s up to us to convince them, to make contact. Nothing has been decided,” he reiterated. Listing the points of the road map marked out by the executive, which he believes will reassure the French – underlining the government’s “attachment” to the pay-as-you-go system, for example – he admitted: “There remains the question of postponing the starting age. There, many consider that the effort is not distributed equitably.”
Welcome “enrichments”… to a certain extent
Does this mean that this postponement of the retirement age to 64 years – of which no union wants to hear about and which crystallizes the opposition of a majority of citizens – is negotiable?
“There is a fundamental disagreement with the unions: to finance pensions, we choose work, they favor taxes. I say it: we are working on taxes in France! Despite this clear divergence, I am convinced that we can enrich the project “. together,” said Gabriel Attal.
He designated other interlocutors: the deputies and senators who will write down the text in the coming weeks, while it must be presented on Monday in the Council of Ministers. “I respect the upcoming parliamentary debate. On all issues we are open to enrichment”, thus summarized Gabriel Attal before pointing out a border to these negotiations: the guarantee of the “balance of the system in 2030 without tax increases”.
An entry for Jean-Luc Mélenchon
The Delegate Minister of Public Accounts wanted to be optimistic: “I deeply believe that we are not condemned to the armed struggle.” A distrust of the confrontation that did not prevent him from taking a very political stride, directed at one of the most prominent opponents of the pension reform project:
“Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s project is the pay-as-you-go debt. With it, the younger generations would be condemned to be hit with taxes to finance an unfair system.”
“Work less to earn less and live less well,” he finally mocked.
Source: BFM TV
