He decided to be loyal.
Criticized for his discretion in the midst of the debate on pensions, Édouard Philippe reaffirmed his "
unambiguous
" support for the executive's project on Thursday.
A reform that he considers "
necessary
" even if he admits that it is "
less ambitious
" than the universal points system that he defended in 2020. "
To balance the system, you have to work longer
", a- he indicated on BFMTV, two hours before the great oral of the Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, in the program "L'Événement" on France 2.
Pressed by the Matignon tenant to go to the front line, the former head of government took care, from his town hall in Le Havre, to recall his position.
According to him, this reform is a guarantee of “
prosperity
” and “
justice
”.
Historical supporter of a postponement of the starting age – up to 65 or even 67 years old – Édouard Philippe claims to accommodate the measure at 64 years old deemed “
non-negotiable
” by the government.
"Improve" the text
“
The truth, at the end of the day, is that if there are fewer working people than pensioners, pensions will go down
,” he said, referring to the current pay-as-you-go system.
A way of clarifying a message scrambled, in recent days, by the reservations of half a dozen Horizons deputies threatening to vote against or to abstain.
“
I do not believe that there are refractories
”, tried to minimize Édouard Philippe.
The president of Horizons defended the right of his troops to "
improve
" the text during a debate he hopes without "
obstruction
" in the Chamber of the National Assembly - the text must arrive Monday in public session after been discussed in committee.
Read alsoRetirements: Édouard Philippe embarrassed by his rebellious deputies
If he recognizes a "
strong opposition of the French
" to the reform, he nevertheless sets a red line: by trying to "
make sure that the reform is better accepted
", with "
a few essential justice measures
", we must not "
to lose sight of the imperative of the balance of the system
".
A warning issued to the government, which could be tempted to make some concessions to the opposition as well as to its majority.