First backpedaling for the RN? The president of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella, who hopes to obtain the post of Prime Minister after the early legislative elections, has postponed a possible repeal of the pension reform, not making it his immediate priority. The boss of the RN explained Tuesday evening on France 2 distinguish “urgency from importance”, with “priority” being “purchasing power” and “electricity bills”.
In a “second step” only, he would “obviously” like to return to the Macron reform which pushes back the legal retirement age to 64, recognizing a “divergence” with his new LR ally Eric Ciotti, in favor of the recent extension of the legal age. Repeal the Macron reform or not? “We will see,” Jordan Bardella timidly replied Tuesday morning on RTL, invoking the “economic situation” of a “country which is shattering deficit records under Emmanuel Macron.”
A way for the head of the National Rally to be “reasonable” in the face of the issue of the “debt wall”. A change of direction which has not escaped his rivals on the left. La France insoumise (LFI) MEP Manon Aubry commented on
Furthermore, the leader of the far-right party also underlined the specific context of a potential “cohabitation” with Emmanuel Macron if the RN wins the legislative elections of June 30 and July 7. “In the case of cohabitation, we obviously cannot do everything that the Presidency of the Republic allows you to do […] We will have to make choices.”
A first backpedal
Jordan Bardella would like “all those who started working before the age of 20 to see the long career system strengthened and to be able to leave with 40 years”, but there “will be priorities”, he warned. In 2023, the RN led the battle against pension reform by demanding its repeal. During the 2022 presidential election, Marine Le Pen had watered down the RN’s initial proposal of retirement at 60 with 40 annuities for everyone, reserving the measure for people who entered working life before the age of 20.
For his part, Emmanuel Macron promised, Wednesday June 12, that pensions will remain “well indexed to inflation”, contrary to the assertions of the National Rally which affirms that the government has a “hidden agenda” on the subject. “I will be very clear that pensions will be well indexed to inflation, the purchasing power of retirees, it is not an adjustment variable”, assured Emmanuel Macron who accused “the extreme left blocs ” and “far right” to put the retirement system “in bankruptcy” by proposing to reverse the 2023 pension reform.