In France, this is the concession that could convince the left not to censor the government during the budget vote: the suspension of the controversial pension reform. As François Bayrou’s general policy speech approaches and negotiations are in full swing, the lines seem to be moving.
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On the one hand, there are declarations which suggest that the government could, in fact, let go of the ballast on pension reform. That of Olivier Faure this Thursday on TF1, for whom, whether on the subject of the starting age or a suspension of the reform, “ there is no veto from the government… and that is already a change in itself “.
This goes in the same direction on the side of the unions, who are received all week at Matignon by François Bayrou. Sophie Binet, leader of the CGT, testifies: “ When I told François Bayrou that we had to block the immediate application of the pension reform, he did not tell me no. »
Marylise Léon, from the CFDT, confirms: “ All issues concerning reform are on the table. »
A very different tone in the other camps
They seem reluctant to compromise. Patrick Martin, the president of Medef, unsurprisingly, affirms that we should not modify the pension reform, which raised the legal retirement age from 62 to 64 years. Édouard Philippe, president of the Horizons party, says he is certainly ready to let go, by accepting a budget which involves fewer savings than expected. But, for the former Prime Minister, the possible suspension of the pension reform is a “ bad idea “.
Then, the latest reaction: this Thursday morning, LR Laurent Wauquiez, after his meeting with the Minister of the Economy, remained vague: “ For the moment, we do not have any elements from the minister which go in the direction indicated by Olivier Faure. »
In this context, will a non-censorship agreement really materialize with the left? A socialist deputy confides in any case that the atmosphere has changed compared to Michel Barnier’s government, an atmosphere more conducive to concessions. Olivier Faure summed it up this Thursday in an interview: “ The discussions are tense because there are financial issues. » But this time, « there is the desire expressed on both sides to reach an agreement “.
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