Oliver Véran repeats it: the Government “does not want” the approval of the 49.3 pension reform, largely rejected by the unions and a clear majority of the French population. But will the executive use this constitutional weapon? “To guarantee (not to use it) when it is a constitutional tool, that would be quite stupid,” Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt told BFMTV on Sunday.
“We will not give up on our reform,” warned Olivier Véran before him.
This “is not our clue today”, even if this article appears “by definition in the Constitution”, Gabriel Attal also said a few hours later on France 2.
three possible scenarios
Having voted on the text in the Senate, three scenarios for the pension reform are now possible. The first, more advantageous for the government, would be a conclusive joint joint commission (CMP), with an agreement reached between senators and deputies this Wednesday. The following day, the Senate and the National Assembly would vote on the text and the pension reform would be approved.
The second scenario would put the executive in trouble, with an inconclusive joint joint commission. The text would then return to the National Assembly for a new reading and the parliamentary process would begin again. Unless the government has used article 47.1 of the Constitution: senators and deputies have until March 26 to vote on the text, otherwise the executive may enforce the reform by ordinance.
To speed things up and avoid going through an order, the government could use 49.3.
Finally, in case the CMP is conclusive but the government is not sure of its majority, it could ensure the adoption of the pension reform using 49.3. A clue that could be implemented. Especially since, according to the BFMTV counter, only 188 deputies say they are ready to vote for the text.
But the 49.3 also represents disadvantages for the executive: opposition parliamentarians could present a motion of no confidence and overthrow the government.
“We are building this majority, deputy by deputy”
However, Olivier Dussopt and Gabriel Attal said, together on Sunday night, “convinced that they have a majority.”
“We are building this majority, legislator by legislator”, added the Minister of Labor on BFMTV.
After three days of respite, parliamentary debates will resume on Wednesday, with the convening of a joint joint commission (CMP) in parallel to an eighth day of demonstrations against the reform. At this meeting, seven deputies and seven senators will seek to agree on a compromise text. The government is not present there, but it can pull the strings.
If an agreement is reached, the text will go back to the Senate on Thursday for a final validation and then, probably in immense suspense, to the National Assembly.
Source: BFM TV
