Monday morning, for the first time in weeks, Edouard Philippe almost resumed the course of a normal life as Prime Minister. Locked in his office for a good part of the day, signing signers, receiving a few ministers for bilateral meetings related to current affairs. But nothing, absolutely nothing on the pension reform agenda. At most, he kept abreast of mobilization figures at RATP and SNCF where the rate of strikers (4.3%) fell to the lowest.
Something has indeed changed since this weekend and this famous compromise proposed by the tenant of Matignon who said, for the first time, "willing to withdraw" the pivotal age of 64 years, in order to get out of the crisis . A demand carried for weeks by the reformist unions, CFDT at the head.
Funding conference
But not a blank check, however: the union and employers' organizations are now responsible for finding an alternative measure during the famous financing conference which should bring about, by the end of April, an equivalent measure to balance the future pension system. Kind of give and take.
Manner, too, for Edouard Philippe to prove that he has not dropped anything on the merits, and therefore to keep face. While leaving Laurent Berger, the leader of the CFDT, the impression of having obtained a major concession. “A compromise is not a draw. These are two parties that have the feeling of having won, ”assures the Prime Minister in private after this major turning point.
Even if the hardest part remains to be done. Because the strike continues with mobilization which, on the 40th day of the movement, breaks records of duration. "An impasse", according to Philippe, who recalled Sunday evening on France 2 that he would go "to the end" of this reform.
And also because the political shock wave of this sequence - and the potential damage - remains at this stage still difficult to assess, including internally. “We have been asking for weeks at least for the suspension of the pivotal age in negotiations. We were even systematically beaten up. What happened there is clearly a victory for us ”, exults the deputy LREM Jean-François Cesarini, from the left wing. Proof that the cracks within the majority are now significant.
Some fear a return to the pivotal age
Especially since the runways to find another solution to the pivotal age are still very vague. In opposition, some fear that the measure will return to the text in the spring, if the funding conference fails. Not impossible, "but unlikely in the state", swears a part of the macronie.
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Others, in the majority, put forward the idea of redirecting part of the employee and employer contributions to finance the future plan. But not sure that Medef can hear it. Proof, if any, that the soap opera is far from over despite the deceptive calm of this Monday.