It’s the big day for François Bayrou. The Prime Minister is due to deliver his general policy statement to the National Assembly at 3 p.m. this afternoon. After long negotiations, with the left in particular, he is especially expected on the budget for 2025 and pension reform, potentially announcing its suspension or freezing. Unlike his predecessor, who had moved closer to the National Rally to avoid censorship, François Bayrou, for his part, focuses on the non-Melenchonist left.
Information to remember
⇒ François Bayrou will deliver his general policy declaration at 3 p.m.
⇒ The Prime Minister is expected on the budget and pensions
⇒ Negotiations with the left seem to have reached an impasse
Negotiations with the left at a standstill
Despite several hours of exchanges on Monday between the government and the Socialist Party, negotiations to find a non-censorship agreement failed, on the eve of François Bayrou’s general policy declaration. With pension reform at the heart of the discussions, again and again. The equation remains as delicate as ever for the Prime Minister, engaged in negotiations with the non-Melenchonist left, without directing his LR and even Macronist allies, who are raising their voices in the face of a possible rollback on pensions.
For the moment, talks seem to be at an impasse with the PS, whose delegation led by first secretary Olivier Faure was first received by ministers Catherine Vautrin (Labor and Health), Eric Lombard (Economy) and Amélie by Montchalin (Public Accounts), then two hours by François Bayrou in Matignon early Monday evening. “As I speak to you, the proposals that are on the table are not acceptable for the Socialist Party and we regret it,” argued PS general secretary Pierre Jouvet. On BFMTV, the latter deplored Monday evening the absence of “significant progress” and “guarantee concerning the suspension” of the pension reform, considering that François Bayrou had been “caught by the patrol” located “at his RIGHT”.
The threat of censorship
François Bayrou’s inability to rally the PS casts doubt on the sustainability of this government. A motion of censure will undoubtedly be tabled by the Insoumis this Tuesday, in the wake of a general policy declaration. Without the votes of the socialists and the RN (which does not support the text), La France insoumise cannot overthrow the government. But for now, nothing is certain. “I still don’t have too many arguments for not voting for censorship,” declared environmentalist leader Marine Tondelier on Monday evening.
François Bayrou in front of the deputies, Elisabeth Borne in front of the senators
The Prime Minister will deliver this Tuesday, January 14 at 3:00 p.m. before the National Assembly the traditional speech of the new arrival in Matignon. Ironically, it is Elisabeth Borne, former Prime Minister and author of the contested pension reform, who will read in parallel before the Senate the same text, which could include concessions to her own law, adopted at the time in forceps using article 49.3.