A week that starts with a bang for Elisabeth Borne.
A few hours before a Council of Ministers during which several key texts are to be presented, starting with the finance bills (PLF) and social security financing bills (PLFSS) for 2023, the Prime Minister was the guest of RMC and BFMTV this Monday morning.
Very few announcements, but some details.
And always the famous word “consultation”, repeated several times.
We take stock of what to remember from his speech.
Decision on pensions "by the end of the week"
Elisabeth Borne has still not specified whether pension reform would be on the agenda of the PLFSS - a hypothesis to which the unions and a large part of the political class (including certain elected representatives of the majority) are opposed - or in a separate text.
An amendment to the PLFSS “would be a declaration of war”, launched LFI deputy Manuel Bompard on Sunday.
Pensions: Élisabeth Borne (@Elisabeth_Borne) claims to be looking for "the best way" to implement the reform pic.twitter.com/UJm6nhdJnq
– BFMTV (@BFMTV) September 26, 2022
"We have planned an exchange with the President of the Republic this week, I can reassure you, the decision will be made by the end of the week," she said.
A dinner is scheduled for Wednesday at the Élysée with the ministers concerned by the subject and the heavyweights of the majority, including François Bayrou.
On the merits, Elisabeth Borne did not specify this Monday morning what the future legal retirement age would be, while promising, "naturally, to take into account the situations of each", and in particular of people who started working early or those who have had a difficult job.
The 49.3 not excluded
This article, which allows the government to have a text adopted without a vote by Parliament, can be adopted once per parliamentary session.
Without excluding making use of it, Elisabeth Borne promised "the search for a compromise".
Caught up by a slip, she then indicated that “the dialogue will not come from our side”.
Before recovering, smiling: “The blockage will not come from our side.
»
Upcoming increase in the price of a pack of cigarettes
Elisabeth Borne confirmed that the price of a pack of cigarettes would "increase like inflation".
“It would be quite paradoxical for the increase in the pack of cigarettes to be lower than inflation, that means that prices would fall.
Given the impact of tobacco on health, it would be incomprehensible,” she said.
🎙 "The price of a pack of cigarettes will increase with inflation".
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne exceptional guest of Apolline de Malherbe in the #FaceAFace pic.twitter.com/5DLuksTM2C
— RMC (@RMCInfo) September 26, 2022
This indexation will lead to an increase of around 70 cents in the price of packages, calculated Les Echos last week.
A packet of Marlboro, one of the best-selling brands in France, could thus go from 10.50 euros to more than 11 euros.
Heating limited to 19°C
“The rule is to warm up to 19°C,” recalled Élisabeth Borne, while temperatures should remain cool at the start of the week in France.
The tariff shield was extended so that the increase in energy prices is limited to 15% in 2023. It also guaranteed that all households would benefit from this tariff shield.
Energy crisis: "The rule is to heat up to 19°C", recalls Élisabeth Borne (@Elisabeth_Borne) pic.twitter.com/RZKRTGURKS
– BFMTV (@BFMTV) September 26, 2022
Difficulties recruiting teachers
Recognizing the difficulties in recruiting and a crisis in vocations, Élisabeth Borne recalled her desire to “raise” the salaries of teachers and to ensure that none of them earn less than 2,000 euros per month.
This measure is provided for in the budget presented on Monday, and "there will be consultations" between the Ministry of National Education and the unions in the coming weeks.
The laboratories called upon to contribute
The Prime Minister will ask pharmaceutical companies to "participate in the collective effort", in particular by increasing their employees or by taxing them, but without providing details.
“They achieved a significant turnover due to the health crisis” of Covid-19, she insisted.
No reaction on Italy
“We must not skip the stages.
It is up to the President of the Republic to appoint the Prime Minister,” soberly commented the Prime Minister, while the far-right candidate Giorgia Meloni should lead the new government.
His party, Fratelli d'Italia, won more than a quarter of the votes in the legislative and senatorial elections on Sunday.
Elisabeth Borne simply assured that France would be attentive to the "respect" of human rights and abortion in Italy.
