After the abortive reform of the first five-year term, the crucial file promises to be one of the most delicate of the new government.
The pension reform isessential” and “we will do it because we need to fund high priorities», «particular the question of autonomy, dependence“said government spokeswoman Olivia Grégoire on Wednesday. “The reason for this reform was forcefully recalled by the President of the Republic“, explained the Secretary of State, stressing that “the objective of the reform“, promised during the presidential election by the candidate Emmanuel Macron, “is not to remain blocked on the subject of the legal age which is neither a totem nor a taboo“.
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Worn by Emmanuel Macron during the presidential campaign, the pension file, crucial, promises to be one of the most delicate of the new government. After the aborted reform of the first five-year term, the second attempt to push back the legal retirement age from 62 to 65 comes with an additional carrot: the president has promised all retirees a minimum pension of 1,100 euros per month, and adjustments at the age of 65 for long careers and certain arduous jobs. Not enough to appease the unions, who are already proclaiming their opposition to the reform, two and a half years after calling for strikes which had paralyzed transport in the country.
“Dual purpose”
“It is a reform that we are carrying out to create room for maneuver to finance social progress in our country and better support for our fellow citizens.“, she insisted during her report of the council of ministers. “The objective of the pension reform goes beyond the sole subject of pensions, there is behind this government’s desire to finance the reforms to come for the next five-year period (…), including the reform of dependency, but more broadly health reform, and more to come“continued the spokesperson. “We refuse to finance (them) by increasing taxes and we refuse to finance (them) by leaving the debt to future generations“, she added.
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“These choices will be reflected in the pension reform with the dual objective, which the President of the Republic has set for the government, both the pursuit of the objective of full employment and at the same time the need for all of us to work a a little longer gradually“said the spokesperson.
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