Visiting Pau, Emmanuel Macron displayed his good understanding on Friday with François Bayrou, the president of the MoDem, who assured that there had "never been a quarrel" between them despite the differences on the pension reform.
The two men have multiplied the accolades by inaugurating the Foirail, the new cultural center of Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), of which François Bayrou is the mayor, which includes a performance hall and an arthouse cinema.
This visit, planned for a long time, came two days after a dinner which brought together the executives of the majority on Wednesday at the Élysée to stall the method and relaunch the pension reform, one of the most sensitive issues of the beginning of the second five-year term.
François Bayrou had previously warned against a "forced passage" which the MoDem deputies threatened to oppose in Parliament.
Read also“I am opposed to the passage in force”: the warning of François Bayrou on the pension reform
By deciding to reopen a cycle of consultations before the adoption of a bill by "the end of winter", the Head of State "decided because the thesis I was defending was indisputable", said the boss of the Modem to journalists.
“A difference of appreciation”
“What would the atmosphere be like if we had come out of dinner saying:
We're going strong
?
“, he wondered, assuring that there had “never been a falling out”, of “angry”, between him and the president.
"There was, not with him, but with some of those who speak on his behalf, entourages or the government, a fairly strong difference in appreciation", he however underlined.
“Having tried” the passage in force, “I know that it never works”, he added, regretting that “the preparatory work” was “poorly done”.
The president of the Modem nevertheless refused to pose as the winner.
"Not that I don't like winning and I don't hate losing," he said.
"Afterwards, if there are blockages, that's another thing," he said in response to fears of a barrage of fire from the unions and the opposition in the event of an accelerated review of the reform. ahead.
Read also“We are still in the fog”: after Olivier Dussopt’s presentation on pensions, the unions ready for confrontation
The president has waved the threat of dissolution in the event of a vote of no confidence against the government.
"Parliament has the power to overthrow the government, it's the motion of censure, but the moment it overthrows, inevitably it puts its own life at risk", underlined François Bayrou.
During the short visit to Pau, his fifth since his election in 2017, Emmanuel Macron said nothing about pension reform.
In his speech, he insisted on the importance of culture to fight against “house arrest”, in particular with the generalization of the culture pass, “a crazy idea” to which “I am very attached”.
“Culture is access to the universal,” he said.
Nothing had been left to chance for the presidential visit, with the screening of an excerpt from the "Grande Illusion" at the opening ("I think it's one of your favorite films", launched the president of the MoDem) and Dvorak's “New World” Symphony, played by the Pau orchestra, as the grand finale.
The only quack, a sign held up by a resident from a balcony, "I want to be able to retire before the climate collapse", removed by the police before the arrival of the head of state.
