Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne made a surprise trip to Calvados on Saturday, where she will discuss her highly controversial pension reform bill with local players in Vire.
This visit comes a few days before a second day of strikes and demonstrations on Tuesday against the government’s pension reform. On the first day, January 19, between 1 and 2 million people had gathered in the street.
The project, which provides for a postponement of the retirement age from 62 to 64 years and an acceleration of the extension of the contribution period, begins its examination in Parliament this Monday. It is contested by all the unions, most of the opposition and a large majority of the public.
Exchanges with local actors in Vire
The head of government went first at the end of the morning, without the press, to the wishes of the mayor of the small town of Saint Rémy, Serge Ladan, according to his entourage. The rebel Noé Gauchard had obtained, in the June legislative elections, in this commune about 61% of the votes, against 39% for Elisabeth Borne.
She participated at noon in the wishes of her deputy, Freddy Sertin (Renaissance), in his new office in Vire, AFP noted. Ms Borne was elected Member of Parliament in the 6th constituency with 52.5% of the vote, compared to 47.5% for Mr Gauchard.
Then, in the early afternoon, at the Vire town hall, the Prime Minister will discuss pensions with local actors and residents, during a meeting organized by Freddy Sertin.
Rather discreet since the presentation of this reform on January 10, the Prime Minister has already taken part by surprise, on the eve of the first day of mobilization, in a public meeting in Nogent-sur-Marne (Val-de-Marne). He had defended a project “to bring social progress to the country.”
Government communication on this reform has experienced some setbacks recently, notably when the Minister for Relations with Parliament, Franck Riester, admitted that women were “a bit penalized” by the age measure.
Source: BFM TV
