Like an air of relief in the ranks of macronie. If the unions called this Tuesday for a “paralyzed France”, the scale of the movement, certainly very important with 3.5 million protesters in France according to the CGT and 1.28 according to the Ministry of the Interior, has not stagnated the economy.
“There was a real mobilization (…) but France did not stop completely,” judged Gabriel Attal, Deputy Minister of Budget this Wednesday on BFMTV.
Trivialization of the strike
Very far from the dramatization strategy chosen by the executive in recent days, which had raised its voice in response to calls from the power stations for a “black Tuesday.” Olivier Véran had argued last week that mass strikes would amount to “running the risk of an ecological, agricultural and health disaster.”
Perhaps it was Olivier Dussopt who best summed up the spirit of government on the eve of the mobilization. “You shouldn’t scream before it hurts,” the labor minister said Monday night on France info.
The next day, in the middle of the strike, the executive even played the trivialization card. Returning from his African tour, the president worked with Elisabeth Borne on the urban plan for the periphery, Barrios 2030. Very far from pensions.
“Basically, we’re rounding our backs”
However, the inter-union is far from having said its last word. She has already called for two days of mobilization on March 11 and 14 or 15 and asked to be received by Emmanuel Macron “urgently”. Blockades in strategic sectors could also continue through renewable strikes.
Fuel shipments, for example, are still blocked this Wednesday morning at the exit of French refineries. All manned gas depots are also closed.
At this stage, the gas pipelines that supply customers remain open. As for the EDF strikers, they seized control of part of France’s nuclear, thermal and hydroelectric plants and managed to withdraw up to 11,000 megawatts from the electricity grid, a very high figure and much higher than the days of previous strikes.
“There are always very important mobilizations, but we are obliged to point out that the freedom of movement and work has been respected and, obviously, must continue to be so,” explains Guillaume Karasbian, president of the National Assembly’s economic commission.
“Basically, we hunker down while we wait for it to happen,” sums up another party executive.
an electric climate
In the ranks of the macronie, we emphasize that the improvement in transport is good news. One train in three is scheduled for Wednesday on the SNCF, better than 20% on Tuesday.
The strike will continue on Thursday and at least Friday, but traffic will improve, Transport Minister Clément Beaune told LCI on Wednesday. All the unions of the public company have called a renewable strike.
Tuesday was however very complicated for the government, between power cuts in Annonay, the stronghold of Olivier Dussopt and the arms of honor in the National Assembly of Éric Dupond-Moretti.
Serenity thanks to the Senate
If the Minister of Justice intervened in a bill on the ineligibility of perpetrators of domestic violence, these gestures took on the left-wing appearance of a government on the verge of a nervous breakdown, following sometimes chaotic debates over reform of pensions in the National Assembly.
“Ce qui fait monter autant la pression, c’est que certains ne veulent pas que les revendications qui s’expriment légitimement dans la rue puissent être débattues au Parlement”, advance ainsi Prisca Thevenot, deputée et porte-parole de Renaissance à l’ National Assembly.
However, the government has shown relative serenity since the arrival of the pension reform in the Senate last week. The Upper House, with a majority to the right, is very favorable to retirement at 64, already adopted several times during the debates on the social security budget.
Pressure on recalcitrant deputies
Proof of the will of the senators for the bill to be approved: Gérard Larcher activated article 38 of the internal regulations in the Palais du Luxembourg during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday to speed up the discussions and quickly reach the vote on article 7 on raising the retirement age.
However, the reform must return to the National Assembly, once the joint joint commission, the body that brings together senators and deputies, has agreed on a common version. With a very probable recourse to 49.3, due to the lack of a majority to adopt it.
Proof of the relative concern that reigns in other parts of the National Assembly: the office of the group has recorded that any deputy who votes against, abstains or does not vote in favor of the pension reform would be excluded from the majority. A deputy close to Aurore Bergé evokes “a classic procedure that recalls the president’s commitments during the presidential campaign.”
“I am not very much in favor of this type of message because it gives the impression that we cannot convince our own troops,” laments a majority executive.
The relief is not yet completely within the macronie.
Source: BFM TV
