Vigil of arms before a new mobilization against the pension reform.
While the French are preparing for massive blockages in many sectors on Tuesday, in view of a
"shutdown"
of the country desired by the unions, the Prime Minister continues her work of conviction.
Guest of France 5 on Monday, Elisabeth Borne sketched the beginning of a mea culpa on the muddled communication of the executive around a pension floor of 1,200 euros gross monthly, which had aroused a host of criticism from the opposition.
“
I think that our pension system is complicated, and that in normal times, we rarely look at the operation of this minimum pension (…) and that, obviously, when we want to communicate on the measures that are taken, and that 'we communicate perhaps a little quickly in a sentence... Inevitably, we do not take into account all the complexity of this system
, ”acknowledged the head of government.
Read also Pension reform: can the unions put France “at a standstill”, as in 1995?
Promised by the executive in early January, the measure of a minimum pension of 1,200 euros was the subject of misunderstanding as soon as it was presented.
And quickly raised a very practical question within the political class: how many French people, in full career, will be able to benefit from this pension floor?
After several skirmishes with the opposition during parliamentary debates, the Minister of Labor Olivier Dussopt finally reviewed his copy last week, admitting that only 10,000 to 20,000 French people will cross the threshold of 1,200
euros
.
Contrary to the old government forecasts, which ranged from two million to 40,000 through 200,000 retirees concerned.
An increase in pensions for 1.8 million retirees
On this occasion, Élisabeth Borne recalled that, according to her calculations, 1.8 million pensioners “
will benefit from an increase in their pension this year, by an average of 600 euros – 670 euros for women – per year.
“And that 200,000 French people will retire “
with a better retirement
”, of the order of 400 euros per year.
“
When we look at the levels of pensions we are talking about, pensions between 700 and 800 euros, these are significant increases
”, hammered Élisabeth Borne, recalling that “
the whole costs 1.7 billion.
»
On the eve of the sixth day of protest against the government's bill, the executive and the unions are playing their all out.
The first hopes more than anything to hold the standoff of social protest, to adopt the reform by the end of March and obtain a victory, we can no longer, politically.
The latter want to harden the movement and exceed the participation figures of the previous days.
With one objective: that the executive eventually abandon its reform.
