Inescapable?
The boss of the Modem and High Commissioner for Planning, François Bayrou, estimated this Sunday that France "would not escape" a pension reform, in particular because of "the lengthening of life, with the shortening years at work, ”he said on BFMTV.
Maintaining a reform on this subject will be "an obligation", added the mayor of Pau.
Read also Pension reform: facing the wall of the health crisis, "Macron will have to make choices"
"But I do not believe that before the presidential election, in the heat of a campaign (...), we can calmly lead a reform to its conclusion", added the president of the Democratic Movement, known to be close to Emmanuel Macron .
On the other hand, he believes that this campaign will be "the place, the time for everyone to say their direction on this subject".
Asked whether the Head of State would listen to him on the issue, he replied that Emmanuel Macron "listened to him more often than you think".
Two days earlier, the boss of LREM deputies, Christophe Castaner, for his part felt that there were "too many uncertainties" related to the health crisis to be able to present a bill at the start of the school year.
The idea of a referendum
On a personal basis, the boss of the MoDem suggested that the French vote on this reform by referendum.
For him, "the problem with a reform as profound as this one is that the mere fact of stating it blocks the country", he noted.
"The only way to avoid the blockage is to tell the French
it is you who will decide
" by referendum, he said.
He also considers that this tool is not used enough in current democratic life.
François Bayrou (@bayrou) on pension reform: "We do not use the referendum enough" pic.twitter.com/FgHrqZ2RUZ
- BFMTV (@BFMTV) July 11, 2021
On the subject of Covid-19, and on the eve of a new televised address by Emmanuel Macron, François Bayrou again pleaded in favor of "compulsory vaccination for everyone", while the government plans to make the compulsory vaccination for caregivers only.