behind the determination, bitterness and concern of the demonstrators

“I feel good. The catchy words of James Brown, broadcast by the loudspeakers, contrast with the bitterness which points in this eighth day of mobilization against the pension reform. By marching Wednesday March 15 in the streets of Nantes (Loire-Atlantique), when the parliamentarians are meeting in a joint joint committee, Anaïs and Maxime are well aware that they will not be able to convince the government to abandon the reform. “I don’t have much hope for the outcome of the vote, confides this social worker who participated in all the demonstrations and parades for the first time with her 3 and 7 year old daughters. I do not feel at all respected by the government, which remains deaf to this popular and peaceful mobilization. »

A godsend for “the extremes”?

For Maxime, a nurse at the Nantes University Hospital, this lack of listening could have serious social and political consequences. “People have already lost faith in politics by shunning the ballot box. Now they realize that peaceful protests are not enough. What do they have left, if not a more violent revolt? »

Responsible for CFDT metal retirees and former programmer analyst in a large company, Patrick Delassalle, 67, makes a similar analysis. “If the law passes, we don’t really know how we will get out of this conflict. The anger of the yellow vests had calmed down with the arrival of the Covid. There, I have the impression that everyone is going to lose feathers because the people’s distrust of this government-steamroller is total. »

For his colleague Jean-Yves Jezequel, 60, CFDT secretary of the health, safety and working conditions commission in the offices of La Poste, the first responsible for the failure of the unions to bend the government is none other than Emanuel Macron. “He succeeded in breaking the trade unionism of negotiation by modifying the functioning of the trade union bodies and by reducing the time devoted to listening to the employees and to understanding the field”, estimates this accustomed to social dialogue. If the eight demonstrations against the pension reform took place in peace, he is worried about the rest of the events.

“Tomorrow, who will control the social revolt? “, he wonders, fearing that the far right will take advantage of this situation. “People who find that the demonstrations do not bring anything will want to try something else,” he continues. The National Rally remained very discreet, including in the National Assembly, by working on its posture and its communication, unlike rebellious France. The current deputies will bear a heavy responsibility for the political consequences of their refusal to listen to the field…”

More democratic levers

History and geography teacher in a Nantes high school, Dominique Lambert, 61, hit hard by this reform, says she is also very worried. “What is happening is dramatic because the French will lose confidence in democracy and turn to extremes. “” This failure to listen to the demonstrators is a penknife stroke in democracy,” summarizes Mélanie Lollier-Plouneiz, federal secretary of the CFE-CGC energies.

But they want to believe that it is still possible to move the lines. “We are not resigned and we think that the Constitutional Council can still challenge all or part of the text, assures Manuela Bessemoulin, 51, national secretary of the CFE-CGC energies. We still have democratic levers to activate and the movement against the reform is not over. We still believe it. »

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