President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday said his much-discussed pension reform was necessary and should come into effect by the end of the year, agreeing to endorse unpopularity in the face of street anger.
This reform is necessary. It does not please me, I would have liked not to do it, but it is also for it that I made the commitment to do it, declared the Head of State during a television interview on TF1 and France 2.
He wants it to come into force by the end of the year so that 1.8 million withdrawals begin to be increased by around 600 euros per year on average.
The President of the Republic – who is facing ever more sustained political and trade union protest since the forceps adoption of the text via 49.3 – also considered that the project of all the oppositions and all those who oppose the reform , it is the deficit, which he compared to a magic formula.
What is the deficit?, asked Emmanuel Macron. It means, in fact, that you choose to make your children pay because, today, you refuse to decide with clarity and courage.
The Head of State also said he wanted to re-engage in dialogue on working conditions with the social partners – deploring in passing that they did not propose a compromise – to hear this need for justice.
He indicated that these concrete discussions would concern in particular the evolution of careers or arduousness and would be held in the coming weeks from a method defined within three weeks, one month.
Macron assures Borne of his confidence
Mr. Macron, who had already ruled out any dissolution or withdrawal from the pension reform, also assured Elisabeth Borne of his confidence, calling on her to build a legislative program, a government program (…) to have both less legal texts, shorter, clearer texts, to also change things for our compatriots in a more tangible way.
There is no alternative majority, he insisted.
Emmanuel Macron also said he was ready to endorse the unpopularity to implement the reform. Me, I am not looking to be re-elected (…), but between the short-term polls and the general interest of the country, I choose the general interest of the country, he argued, saying to assume, without regrets, and highlighting his determination, his tenacity and his commitment.
While new rallies were organized on Tuesday evening against the reform in several large French cities, the scene for some of them, including Paris, of tensions between the police and demonstrators, we cannot accept either the rebels or factions, argued the head of state.
When the United States of America lived what they lived on Capitol Hill, when Brazil lived what it lived (…), I tell you very clearly, he supported, by denouncing groups that use violence among demonstrators. We will not tolerate any overflow, he warned again.
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