Emmanuel Macron returns to contact with the French. After weeks away from the pension reform battle, the French president appeared early on February 21 at the national interest market (MIN) in Rungis near Paris, the largest fresh produce market in the world. The Head of State has taken care of his return to the political debate.
With our special correspondent at Rungis, Julien Chavanne
White blouse on the back, Emmanuel Macron arrived here around 5:30 am to meet the ” France who gets up early “, in the words of the Elysée. Between the carcasses of meat and poultry, the president was challenged by market employees: “ Today, the middle class to which I belong, we are in the process of diving, I tell you. We do 70 to 80 hours a week, sir. No Saturday, no Sunday, no public holidays. It’s been three years since I took a vacation to pay the bills “.
Response from Emmanuel Macron: “ We can’t redistribute, that’s what I tell people if behind it we don’t produce. So what you say to me is completely what I think “. The French president expected it, he even hoped for it when he came here. The decor is perfect for talking about retirement: here he is surrounded by French people who work at night with heavy loads.
Ideal cast
An ideal cast to defend its reform: “ I don’t think we’re at the end of this road. Everyone has common sense in our country, but on the whole, people know that if we all have to work a little longer on average, we will not be able to finance our pensions well. »
With this visit, Emmanuel Macron also had a political ulterior motive. Praising France, which gets up early and the value of work, is a wink in the direction of the right. The support of the Republicans is essential for him to pass his pension reform in Parliament.
►Also read : Pension reform: in the cacophony, the first debates ended in the Assembly