The pension reform arrives in the hemicycle of the National Assembly on Monday February 6. Twenty days of debates which promise to be explosive. Emmanuel Macron’s camp is preparing to face relentless opposition. But the macronie must also suffer criticism internally. The blows come from the allies of the president and in particular from the party of Édouard Philippe.
Nobody expected it among the walkers because retreats are one of Édouard Philippe’s fads. The former Prime Minister has long dreamed of an XXL reform, with a postponement of the retirement age of up to 67 years. But his side is today the most unruly of the majority. Six deputies out of 29 – or 20% of the party – do not want to vote for Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform. They don’t find it balanced enough, unfair even over long careers. Six missing votes is a lot, especially when the macronist camp is already weakened with a relative majority. Enough to give cold sweats to this executive of Emmanuel Macron’s party who recognizes that today, ” the big problem is Horizons “.
Édouard Philippe ordered to tighten the bolts
Elisabeth Borne, François Bayrou from Modem and Stéphane Séjourné from Renaissance had the opportunity to tell him during a meeting at Matignon this week. Accused of not getting the shirt wet enough, the former head of government hurried to put out the start of the fire. On January 31, the boss of the group pulled up the suspenders of his deputies: “ If we do not vote for a financial text, we are de facto in opposition », told them Laurent Marcangeli. In short, it’s the vote or the door.
” Everyone in line ? »
” It’s at the end of the ball that we pay the musicians », Jokes the management of Horizons in the Assembly, quite confident. The group tabled more than 80 amendments, enough to reassure everyone if they are adopted. But an influential member of the majority finds it hard to believe: “They don’t give a damn about voting instructions “, she says in reference to several elected Horizons well established in their constituency and who owe nothing politically to the mayor of Le Havre. This beginning of a revolt is obviously an alert for Édouard Philippe, he was taken aback by the independence of his deputies. He who says to himself ” free but loyal towards Emmanuel Macron had to remind his troops that one did not go without the other in his political family.
Loyal but free
France’s favorite politician, according to the polls, was forced to recall his loyalty to the president in the media. Édouard Philippe was invited to BFMTV on February 2, two hours from an interview with Élisabeth Borne on another channel. And if he supported the reform well, the mayor of Le Havre took another step towards his candidacy for the presidency of 2027. Loyal, but above all free, Édouard Philippe.
► To read also: Pension reform in France: Elisabeth Borne makes no concessions