Pensioners victims of inflation
Jean Steinberg, Capbreton (Landes)
François Ecalle argues that pensions have been indexed to prices. It’s wrong. A few years ago, we suffered an increase in the CSG without compensation. Result: we have lost purchasing power until the very recent 4% increase in our pensions, which moreover does not reach the current level of inflation. (“Pension reform: what if we imagined something else?“, L’Express of February 2).
A legitimate reform?
Zbigniew Buczko, Semeries (North)
Emmanuel Macron maintains that a majority of French men and women have come out in favor of his reform project presented during his presidential campaign, which would make it legitimate. He forgets to say that he was elected by only 38.5% of those registered! (“Marine Le Pen-Emmanuel Macron: who benefits from social anger?“, L’Express of February 2).
“Too old” after 50 years…
Volker Koettgen, Marseilles (Bouches-du-Rhone)
Far from the din of extreme political parties, the interview you published with Jérôme Fourquet is very enriching. He points out that, in many companies, an employee over the age of 50 is sometimes considered “old”, who has nothing to look for in today’s working world. What a mistake ! This is to forget that seniors have a significant asset: their experience. It is therefore necessary in this area to draw inspiration from other countries which have already raised the retirement age (Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland) in order to maintain employment of older workers. It is equally necessary to create binding regulations in this area for all recalcitrant companies, large or small. (“Jérôme Fourquet: “The pension reform is a subject of civilization”L’Express of February 2).
For private/public equality
Serge Pelletier, Laval-en-Belledonne (Isère)
In the debate on pensions, it is essential to compare the method of calculation of pensions between employees in the private sector and those in the public service. When I started working in 1968, we left at 65 and private pensions were calculated on the ten best years while those of the public service were calculated on the last six months. Since then, nothing has changed for civil servants, but for the private sector, the calculation is made over the best 25 years! Where did the word “equality” go from our national motto? (“Pension reform: what if we imagined something else?L’Express of February 2).
Octogenarians in power
Eric Garnier, Villemomble (Seine-Saint-Denis)
Septuagenarian Jean-Yves Le Drian is credited with the desire to succeed octogenarian Jack Lang as head of the Arab World Institute. It is true that it was once chaired by another octogenarian, Yves Guéna… (“Jack Lang, the essential of the Arab World Institute“, L’Express of January 12).
Deindustrialization: the real culprits
Alain Valleray, Caen (Calvados)
It is always with pleasure that I read the chronicles of Anne Rosencher. The one that puts pension reform into perspective in the context of globalization is particularly interesting: I find there once again lucidity and perspective. However, let me note one point of disagreement. I am not convinced that deindustrialization was a deliberate choice by French public decision-makers. I see it much more as the result of the globalist utopia of European and world leaders (within the WTO among others) under the interested eye of German public and private decision-makers. “The European turtle swims without a shell in the sea pretending that sharks are goldfish”, noted for example Professor Christian Saint-Etienne. The French leaders were probably unaware of the threat at the start. (“Pension reform: these two essential questions that need to be resolved“, L’Express of January 26, 2023).
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