Strikes against pension reform: the opinion of Emmanuel Macron

The pension reform should be examined from the beginning of February in parliament. In the National Assembly, the debates promise to fuse between the presidential majority, ready to defend the text, and the opposition ready to fight to push the government to give up.

But until then, it is in the street that the protest will rage. Politicians like unions motivate their troops to show their refusal of reform and a decline in the legal retirement age. For the first time in 12 years, the main unions have indeed united to form a common front.

The secretary general of the CGT, Philippe Martinez, thus provides “many strikes in private companies, in trade, distribution, agri-food, metallurgy”, he said on France 2. This day of interprofessional mobilization should thus affect many sectors and some in a massive way.

For the trade unionist, the “rate of strikers will approach 60, 70%”, in certain large groups on January 19, which will only be the first day of strike. Indeed, others will follow since he wants the movement to be renewable “wherever possible”, he confided to our colleagues.

Faced with the various threats of strikes and actions to put pressure on the government, Emmanuel Macron, however, seems to remain unmoved and does not fear a country on fire and blood, according to the words of his relatives collected by BFMTV.

Thus, even if the majority of French people seem opposed to this reform, the President of the Republic does not seem to want to question the legitimacy and the necessary nature of his reform.

According to the words of one of Emmanuel Macron’s advisers noted by our colleagues, the president recognizes the legitimacy and concern of the French. However, he “considers first of all that France is a political nation, full of common sense, which knows that this reform is in the interest of young people, modest pensioners”.

Faced with the mobilizations which are fast approaching, he does not seem worried and refuses to set a threshold of demonstrators from which he should reconsider his reform. This is necessary in the eyes of the Head of State to safeguard the financial balance of the regime.

According to those close to him, the president believes that this reform is consistent with his policy, which he bases on job creation and an increase in the activity rate while taking into account the constraints weighing on public finances.

For him, it is necessary to work longer because he refuses the “childhood disease” that is the tax by taxing pensioners or increasing contributions. Despite everything, he recognizes that it is difficult to require the French to work two more years, but he assumes his responsibilities and “the trouble” that goes with it, as an adviser confided to BFMTV.