He arrived in Brussels as discreetly as the unions rushed noisily in Paris.
The day after his televised intervention on the pension reform, the President of the Republic arrived late and directly joined the plenary session of the European summit in which he is taking part until Friday, without going through the traditional red carpet in front of which the press challenges heads of state.
He had “
meetings
” at the Élysée indicated the Élysée without further details.
Accused of throwing "
oil on the fire
during his intervention, it was not necessary to add to it.
The day before, the head of state had accused the unions of not having offered a compromise during the pension reform, but he had above all mentioned the storming of the Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump as well as the invasion places of power by supporters of Jair Bolsonaro after their defeat.
In Brussels, it was therefore necessary to avoid a “Leonarda effect” by offering the unions and the demonstrators a declaration to be contested in the second when the processions rushed forward, reassembled against him.
And much more provided than last week.
According to the CGT, 800,000 people demonstrated in Paris.
Figures up sharply with mobilization records in several cities in France.
In parallel,
strike movements have increased in the civil service, energy and transport.
And the youth entered the scene with blockages of high schools and universities.
Like a tipping point.
Demonstration against pension reform: at least 26 arrests after clashes in Paris
Because at the same time, the radicalization so dreaded by the executive has happened, despite the calls for calm launched at the start of the day by the union leaders.
Throughout France, clashes between the police and the thugs have multiplied.
In Lorient, the demonstrators even set fire to the sub-prefecture and a police station
.
“
How can we be surprised by this surge of violence when political or union leaders suggest that a democratic process is undemocratic
, we are annoyed within the executive.
Statements of this kind can only lead to the legitimization of violence.
»
Turn up the pressure
On the union side, we also feared these excesses because of their impact on public opinion.
Since the start of the protest, the centrals have tried to contain the violence on the fringes of the social movement.
"
Until the end we will have to keep the opinion
" which is a "
nugget
", hoped the boss of the CFDT, Laurent Berger, before the start of the Paris demonstration.
But on the political side, it is different.
Especially at LFI, where Jean-Luc Mélenchon continues to stir up anger.
“
The so-called breathlessness of the movement will not take place
, assured the leader of the Insoumis.
People won't give in, even if you talk to them so arrogantly, they won't turn down
."
In the morning, he had invited everyone to
throw all its forces into the battle
” against the pension reform, and “
not to be intimidated
”.
After this ninth day of mobilization, the challenge to the pension reform is entering a new phase.
The one where violence is now part of the equation.
Thursday evening, it is also the CRS and the police that we addressed in priority within the executive.
"
We must salute the police who are doing everything they can to prevent the black blocks from spoiling the demonstrations
", indicated an adviser.
The unions know this and still want to increase the pressure before the opinion of the Constitutional Council on the reform expected for next week.
But stepping up the mobilization also means taking the risk of seeing the movement slip away from them.
And get out of control.
