Is the end of the interminable soap opera of pension reform near? Not sure… After 36 days of mobilization, weeks of stormy negotiations, complex discussions and slamming doors, the outline of a compromise between the government and the CFDT seems far from over.
An example? "We are not far from an agreement," reassured a pillar of the majority this Wednesday afternoon ... Hope showered a few hours later by the general secretary of the reforming union. "We are still far from an agreement," said Laurent Berger, this Wednesday at the end of the day. A way for him, too, to build up pressure on the eve of a new day of strike, as much as to raise the stakes before an important meeting in Matignon, Friday.
Édouard Philippe has invited the social partners to a new meeting. The hope of a way out of the crisis with this hand extended to evoke the outlines of the "financing conference". A proposal from the CFDT, which wants financial matters to be decided later (by the end of July) in an attempt to blow up the introduction of a pivotal age at 64 in the bill. On the contrary, the Prime Minister remains very attached to the objective of delivering a text without deficit. And for Edouard Philippe, the pivotal age is the best way to achieve this at this stage.
He also asked Laurent Berger to link the calendar of this famous conference of financing to that of the pension reform. “It's the spirit, confirms those around him. A good compromise is that everyone takes a step and knows that they have not violated their principles. Clearly: no one should lose face. Neither Édouard Philippe nor Laurent Berger, who made pivotal age an absolute repellant.
Convoluted scenario
So to try to find the way to a compromise, on all levels of power, everyone phosphorus. In Le Parisien, Sunday, the boss of the Assembly put forward a new idea. Limit the penalty over time in the event of retirement before age 64, while the project provided for a permanent discount until the end of life. “Richard Ferrand's proposal is too complex. To apply, it is a gas factory, "however sweeps a minister.
And to continue, with his own suggestion: "The good solution would be to maintain the concept of pivotal age in the text presented to the Council of Ministers ... but without specifying 64 years!" A convoluted scenario, but one which would have the advantage of not damaging the Prime Minister politically, without crossing the red line drawn by Laurent Berger. “Provided that both of them do well, this option is possible. In reality, anything is possible… ”sighs a pillar of the majority.
So many hypotheses evoked Tuesday evening, during a dinner at the Elysée. The president - who stands publicly at a distance from this complicated reform - has gathered around him the head of government, Richard Ferrand, Gilles Le Gendre, leader of LREM parliamentarians, Stanislas Guérini, the party boss, as well as the allies of MoDem, François Bayrou and Marielle de Sarnez.
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Emmanuel Macron and Édouard Philippe will meet this Thursday afternoon, at the Elysée Palace, during vow ceremonies at the Constitutional Council and then to the religious authorities. The Prime Minister will spend his morning "at work", chaining ministerial interviews with Christophe Castaner (Interior), Nicole Belloubet (Justice) or Muriel Pénicaud (Work). An eye on mobilization all the same…
