A surprising observation for this lieutenant of Emmanuel Macron. Marisol Touraine, who had led François Hollande’s previous pension reform in 2013, strongly criticized the lowering of the retirement age.
“My message, for the unity of the country, for national cohesion, is that we need a law that unites, and not a law that runs the risk of becoming a passport for extreme right-wing populism,” judges the former Minister of Affairs on Monday. Social. tomorrow in France inter.
“The first time that a reform does not involve companies”
Marisol Touraine had been maneuvering during François Hollande’s five-year tenure to increase the number of years of contribution so she could retire at the full rate.
The reform advocated by Elisabeth Borne also aims to speed up this mechanism. Although the transition to the contribution period of up to 43 years was to take place in 2035, it will take place from 2027.
During Emmanuel Macron’s second inauguration last spring, Marisol Touraine appeared very close to the president, not hesitating to whisper in his ear and under the eyes of the cameras: “You now have your hands free. You can do whatever you want.”
“It must be the first time that a pension reform does not involve companies,” the former minister laments on the radio on Tuesday.
“Work more” but not “for everyone”
The government has ruled out any contribution from employers, wanting not to “increase the cost of labor in France”. Nupes, for his part, calls for the end of exemptions from employer contributions for overtime, which amount to 2,000 million euros in 2023, the same amount as the deficit of the national pension insurance fund.
“My reform (of pensions) at the time was based on a set of coherent measures: the engine was that we had to work more, but that everyone could not work more,” Marisol Touraine also advanced.
Criticism is all the more difficult for the executive to accept since he is in the process of losing the battle of opinion, on the eve of a new day of mobilization. 72% of the French are against raising the retirement age, a figure that has increased considerably according to a Elabe survey for BFMTV.
The question of hard work and long careers crystallize concerns. Some French people who started working between the ages of 16 and 20 could have to work for 44 years to benefit from early retirement at the full rate, compared to 43 years today.
Source: BFM TV
