In the crowded amphitheater of the Institut de France, Nicolas Sarkozy does not intend to give advice to his successor.
“
Who would I be to give?
“, he slips a little later.
Asked about the reform of the institutions, in particular that which he carried out in 2008, Nicolas Sarkozy came to deliver his expertise “
as a practitioner
”.
And if some see a link with the political news of the moment...
"
The 49-3, I was President of the Republic for five years, I never used the 49-3
", recalls the former head of state while today the executive does not hide reflect on its possible use for the vote on the budget.
“
For me, the 49-3 is proof of weakness,
continues Nicolas Sarkozy.
With the inversion of the calendar
(the legislative elections which follow the presidential election, editor's note)
and the five-year term, no one can tell me that the need for 49-3 was the same (as under the seven-year term)
”, develops Nicolas Sarkozy.
“
It is not an institutional reasoning but a political one.
The advisability of choosing this measure depends on your majority and the analysis that
“says the former head of state.
“Not passing in force means not passing at all!”
He himself had been confronted with this question.
"
I had a lot of pressure to use the 49-3, especially when we had this idea of spending retirement from 60 to 62
," explains Nicolas Sarkozy.
The room understands the allusion to the news of the moment when Emmanuel Macron wants to move quickly on a new pension reform.
“I love this expression 'we must not push through';
that's morse code.
Not passing by force means not passing at all!
“
Says the former head of state while many voices today (political and union) are heard to call on Emmanuel Macron to take the time to consult.
"If you think we can push through something that consists of making people work longer to not earn more with their frenzied applause, it's because we don't quite have the same idea of what is the mood of the French people,”
argues Nicolas Sarkozy.
“
We must consult, of course, ironically the former president.
We've been talking about it for 6 years without counting before!
“, he quips.
"I give you a practitioner's opinion"
To those who would deem it necessary to use 49-3 in a context of presidential majority relative to the Assembly, Nicolas Sarkozy confirms: “
it exists
”
.
"
I'm giving you a practitioner's opinion
," he says.
And recall his own experience.
“
I refused to Prime Minister François Fillon as to the President of the National Assembly, Bernard Accoyer, who wanted to use it, the 49-3.
I did not refuse it in the name of institutional considerations but in the name of political considerations
”, he highlights, recalling the importance of politics in political life.
"
Democracy without politics is tech democracy, and I don't think it brings better results
“, he slips.
"
What is 49-3?"
It's a way of constraining its majority, in my case since I had it, or of constraining people - who are neither in the majority nor in the opposition or a little in the opposition, one foot out, one foot in it - to be with you
”, develops Nicolas Sarkozy who does not see any inconvenience that the parliamentary debate lasts several weeks.
He even sees it as a guarantee of good democratic health.
According to him, not having used a 49-3 for the pension reform “
counted a lot
” afterwards.
“We had 4 demonstrations (on the pension reform), the last of which with 3 million people in the street. There was no violence. If I had put the 49-3 and if I had forced the Assembly to vote, I took a risk of violence
, explains Nicolas Sarkozy.
The debate in the National Assembly and the Senate is a bit like steam in a pressure cooker.
If you let out a little steam, it's better not to risk the explosion.
What to give some leads for Emmanuel Macron.
“The president will make his analysis”
“The president will do his analysis,
replies Nicolas Sarkozy.
It is a cost-risk analysis.
He can take this measure, constitutionally there is no problem, or he can also tell himself that it is not only him who is in a difficult situation.
There are also all those who supported my reform when we went from 60 to 62 years old and who will have to explain why they do not basically support the same reform which consists of going from 62 to 65 years old
, ”examines Nicolas Sarkozy in a barely veiled allusion to LR deputies.
As Emmanuel Macron begins his second five-year term, Nicolas Sarkozy recalls that "
ten years is already very long
".
"
After ten years, whatever his qualities, we become completely closed
," warns the former president.
“
We hear nothing.
Power is dangerous because you get used to it and you end up convincing yourself that what you are doing is really very good and that no one could do it.
So you have to set a limit
, ”he explains.
“
Basically, this limitation is a protection.
The pressure is such that ten years, to use a street slogan, is enough
”.
But does a president at the start of his second term still have sufficient authority to drive reforms?
Isn't she undermined?
“
Not at all,
exclaims Nicolas Sarkozy.
If
your authority is undermined, it is because you are fragile.
Even with non-limits (of terms), a majority is agitated when the president has bad polls.
And when the president has good polls, she is calm
”, he quips, recalling that whatever the subjects, “
it is the president who has the last word
” in the Fifth Republic.
“
As you can see, I no longer do politics
,” smiles Nicolas Sarkozy during his presentation.
By making the room laugh.