the liberal president Emmanuel Macron assured this Monday to hear the “ira” in France against his unpopular pension reform, but stressed that it was “necessary” and that it will come into force, in a speech that according to the opposition was “disconnected from reality”.
“No one can stay deaf” this “ira” of the protesters, Macron said in a televised speech from the Élysée Palace, lamenting that a “consent” on this key reform for his second term until 2027.
France has been experiencing a political and social crisis since January due to this reform that delays the retirement age from 62 to 64 years by 2030 and brings forward to 2027 the requirement to contribute 43 years, and not 42, to receive a full pension.
Despite the rejection of the unions and the vast majority of French people, according to polls, Macron decided in March to adopt this law by decree, fearing he would lose the vote in Parliament, which radicalized the protests and increased discontent.
READ ALSO: Macron enacts his unpopular pension reform in France despite protests
Proof of the prevailing discontent with this law, which will come into force next boreal “autumn”, were the pans in front of town halls in several cities in France during the speech.
“Surreal Macron. Completely disconnected from reality, he assumes the theft of two years of freedom. Casseroles sound more accurate”, said the leader of the radical left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
To turn the page on the crisis, the head of state announced a “new pact on life at work”, which will address the “income improvement” and working conditions and a “better distribution of wealth“, in other aspects.
His objective is to build this pact with the unions, to which he said that his door will be “always open”, despite the fact that during the parliamentary process of the reform he refused to meet with them, as they requested in a letter.
The unions for their part refuse to meet with Macron before May 1, when they called for a “exceptional mobilization”. On March 7, they managed to mobilize between 1.28 and 3.5 million people, according to the police and the CGT union, respectively.
100 days
Beyond the reform, which he defends as the only way to avoid a deficit of 13,000 million euros (US$ 14,200 million) in the pension fund by 2030, Emmanuel Macron It was at stake to be able to apply his reformist program until 2027.
But by imposing his unpopular reform, observers say he complicated his future laws, by lacking an absolute majority in Parliament and by dividing the right-wing opposition Republicans (LR), which had negotiated with the government for this law.
READ ALSO: Call for “exceptional mobilization” in France against pension reform
Macron it was given “100 days of appeasement, unity, ambition and action” to relaunch his second term with new measures on migration, education and health, among others, and advanced that he will make a “primer balance” on July 14, the national holiday.
Among the measures pointed out is the fight against illegal immigration and social and tax fraud, as well as aspects to improve the lives of French women such as school, the fight against crime or the improvement of emergency services.
“Appeasement had to be sought (…) in the pension reform. He didn’t say a word”, lamented on BFMTV the leader of the main union, the moderate CFDT, Laurent Berger, for whom there was no “Nothing concretein his speech.
In April 2022, Macron he was re-elected with 58.5% of the vote against the far-right Marine Le Pen. Aware that his victory was due in part to the cordon sanitaire against his rival, he vowed to rule differently and unite the country.
But the polls show a deterioration in confidence in Macron, whose popularity is below 30%, and in the institutions, as well as an advance in Le Pen’s intention to vote, for whom the president “he turned his back again” to the French with this Monday’s speech.
Fuente: AFP
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