The two motions of censure tabled in the National Assembly having been rejected on Monday, March 20, the pension reform was definitively adopted. But the opponents of the text, very committed in the street, do not intend to stop their fight. While a new day of mobilization is scheduled for Thursday, Emmanuel Macron spoke this Wednesday at 1 p.m. on France 2 and TF1.
Pension reform will continue on its “democratic path”
The President of the Republic announced that the text would continue its “democratic path”, with the hope that it will come into force on September 1, 2023. Currently, the law is in the hands of the Constitutional Council, which must validate it. When this is done, Emmanuel Macron wants the shift in the legal retirement age to be pushed back “by three additional months” before the end of the year. Thus, this will “allow to increase by about 600 euros per year on average the amount of pensions of 1.8 million retirees”.
“I made a commitment to reform”
Asked about the social crisis raging in France, Emmanuel Macron denounced “the inadmissible acts of violence perpetrated against certain elected officials”, while saying he was concerned about worried French people. “This reform is necessary. It does not please me, I would have liked not to do it, but that is also why I made the commitment to do it, declared the head of the State. In the 2030s, there will be twenty million retirees, the current system is not viable and there are no solutions to balance it. We return to professional life later and we live more older, you have to adapt to it”. Emmanuel Macron then mentioned the other solutions, such as pension cuts or tax increases, which he rejected. On the intransigent position of the opposition, the president denounced their choice “to make our children pay”, and hailed “the responsibility of the Republican right”, which voted for the text by proposing adjustments.
A denunciation of the “cynicism” of certain large companies
On the feeling shared by the French that work does not pay enough, Emmanuel Macron intends to ask “large companies to allow their employees to benefit from the superprofits generated”, without however imposing taxes on them. Particularly targeted is the trick of buying back one’s own shares with the profits, in order to increase the share price. A legal process but strongly criticized while the purchasing power of the French is undermined by the consequences of the war in Ukraine.
An opening on hardship and long careers
Aware that a general reform cannot take into account particular situations, the Head of State said he was determined to start a dialogue with the unions on the subjects of arduous work and long careers. According to him, “the problem is not the subject of retirement, but of work”. Emmanuel Macron says he is listening to “this need for justice” expressed in the processions, and wishes to take up the case in the coming weeks, thus putting the unions before their responsibility. He also took the opportunity to denounce the attitude of the unions, who never sought, according to him, “to find compromises” on this reform.
Elisabeth Borne still has the confidence of Emmanuel Macron
Asked about the use, in the National Assembly, of 49.3 by Elisabeth Borne, Emmanuel Macron indicated that his Prime Minister still had full confidence, but that she will have to “build a government program” and “try to broaden ” the majority.
Immigration law divided into “several texts”
Emmanuel Macron also announced that the controversial immigration bill would be cut into “several texts”, and will not be examined next week in the Senate, a victim of the crisis caused by the pension reform. Announced for months, contested by associations for the defense of exiles, booed by the left and deemed very insufficient by the right and the far right, the text is deemed too abrasive to be debated immediately.
“There will undoubtedly be several immigration texts and they will arrive in the coming weeks,” explained the head of state.