The executive steps forward. This weekend, Elisabeth Borne and her two most eminent ministers of hers, Bruno Le Maire and Gérald Darmanin, took turns in the media. Objective: to show the firm will of the government to carry out the pension reform.
For several weeks now, the unions have been applying pressure. With the strength of a first success on Thursday, January 19, with the presence of 1.12 to 2 million people in the streets, they hope to do better this Tuesday with a new inter-union mobilization. The executive, on the other hand, loses more and more ground in the battle for public opinion.
“Instilling the idea that Tuesday’s mobilization will be useless”
To regain control, the executive shows his firmness. With Elisabeth Borne in the foreground. While the President of the Republic focused on ecology, holding an Ecological Planning Council this Thursday before posting a video on his social networks to call to “redouble our efforts” in reducing carbon emissions, the head of Matignon has shown its muscles in the pension reform. .
Even before the debates in the Social Affairs Committee began on Monday, Elisabeth Borne warned on franceinfo: the postponement of the legal age of departure from 62 to 64 years “is no longer negotiable”. Like the acceleration of the Touraine reform to set the contribution period at 43 life annuities by 2027. Two measures, “necessary” according to her for “the balance of the system”.
The objective: “To discourage, to instill the idea that the mobilization on Tuesday will be useless, that the bill will be approved at all costs,” analyzes Matthieu Croissandeau, political columnist for BFMTV. Especially since 71% of the French think that the pension reform will be “voted and applied”, according to the latest poll by Elabe for BFMTV.
“Despite the good speeches, the desire to have a new method that Elisabeth Borne sold us last summer, we have not come out of the culture of confrontation in France. We have a government that says ‘go ahead, no’. There is nothing to see , it will not be otherwise,'” says Matthieu Croissandeau.
According to him, the executive’s bet is “risky.” “The firmness shown by the prime minister can also have the effect of irritating the protesters, radicalizing them” and “fueling mobilization”, he explains.
“border”
Especially in view of the statements by Gérald Darmanin. In an interview in Parisian this weekend, the Home Secretary first wanted to be firm as well.
“To balance our pension system, yes, we have to work more. We must not say anything more and assume it,” said the patron of Place Beauvau. He then proceeded to hit the left, accusing the Nupes of “spoiling the country.”
Leave the arguments around the supposed “justice” of the reform. Gérald Darmanin has put the cursor on “work”. always in the parisian, the former Sarkozyist spoke of “Mr. Mélenchon and his friends”, who “defend a silly left-wing idea, that of a society without work, without effort”. A way for the Minister to confront this vision with that of “the majority of the President of the Republic”, who, according to him, “defends work, the values of effort, merit and emancipation”.
A strategy far from being of “colossal finesse”, underestimates Matthieu Croissandeau. He develops: “Yes, there may be second intentions, bad faith, demagogy, among the opponents of the pension reform. But we can also speak out against this reform without being lazy or rowdy. We can criticize it, find it unfair, brutal, unequal, or all three at the same time, without being unable to express ourselves, speak or demonstrate”, our editorial writer develops.
Once again, the bet is “risky”.
“With these short sentences, the government chooses to assume the balance of power. At the risk of deeply fracturing the country,” said Matthieu Croissandeau.
“Injustice”
This weekend, the executive not only addressed his opponents. The firm message was also intended for the majority, where dissonant voices have been heard since the Prime Minister announced the guidelines for the pension reform on January 10.
The following week, Barbara Pompili had collected a first car from the presidential convoy. “At this moment”, the former minister for the Ecological Transition as well as the three deputies from his party, in common, are not ready to vote for the reform, explained the main interested party to BFMTV.com.
He highlighted the “injustices”, especially in long races. The Somme’s elected official wants the government to review his copy. She is not the only one. See the amendments presented by Renaissance in the Social Affairs Commission to “improve” the version defended by the Government.
“This project involves all of us”
Opposite, the executive pleads for unity. “I call on the majority parties, Renaissance, Horizon, MoDem, to unite,” Bruno Le Maire declared at the JDD. While putting pressure on:
“When one belongs to a majority, they support the proposals that were part of the presidential project. This project involves all of us.”
Including Les Républicains, to listen to the Minister of Economy. “They say they support this reform, so much the better. I hope they keep this coherence to the end…” he told the newspaper. Nothing is bought there either. Despite the favorable position of Eric Ciotti, party leader, the right has not yet tuned its violins. Some, following in the footsteps of the deputy Aurélien Pradié, advocate “red lines”, especially in long races.
At stake: a text that cannot pass without the support of the right, with the presidential camp in a position of relative majority. Without LR, the executive would be forced to remove article 49.3, which would further reinforce the opposition to his project.
Source: BFM TV
