As François Bayrou’s general policy declaration approaches on Tuesday, negotiations intensified on pensions and the budget, with the socialists requesting a suspension of the application of the 64-year-old measure, while it is renegotiated. as a price for their non-censorship.
At the end of the day, the Minister of the Economy Eric Lombard told the press, at the end of a marathon week between Bercy and the political parties represented in Parliament, that the spirit which animated the dialogue “will allow us to move forward”.
At the same time, an environmental leader told AFP he felt the negotiations “to get bogged down”.
For several days, and to the fury of Jean-Luc Mélenchon who denounced “their servility”socialists, ecologists and communists discuss with the government, mainly Bercy, the 2025 budget project and pension reform.
With the aim of finding “a path” which would allow them not to vote on the motion of censure that the Insoumis intend to table after the general policy declaration.
The leader of the socialist senators Patrick Kanner mentioned on franceinfo, in the absence of a repeal of the pension reform, a suspension of the application of the progressive postponement of the retirement age from 62 to 64 years, for 6 months , time for a renegotiation of the text with the social partners.
“This six-month negotiation could begin very quickly and, in the meantime, we are asking for a suspension or the equivalent of a suspension”and this M. Kanner.
He then clarified to AFP that this six-month duration was the result of personal reflection, which did not commit the Socialist Party.
“What we are asking for is the suspension, Patrick Kanner did not need to set a deadline”noticed a PS manager, while Marine Tondelier, the head of the Ecologists reacted on « faux! » to the declarations of M. Kanner.
“If we are heard (…), there will be no censorship by the socialists”and assured M. Kanner.
Negotiation would notably make it possible to “rework the age measurement of 64 years”on which “I sensed some changes at the government level”said the senator.
The pension reform, which came into force on September 1, 2023, notably introduces a gradual increase in the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 years, at the rate of three additional months per generation.
These in-depth discussions with the government enrage La France insoumise, which now accuses the PS of wanting to abandon pay-as-you-go retirement for a points-based retirement system, dear to Emmanuel Macron, which Secretary General Pierre Jouvet denied, denouncing a « fake news ».
discussion “until Monday evening”
While awaiting François Bayrou’s general policy declaration, discussions continued all day at Bercy.
“The synthesis” of all the discussions of the last few days with the political parties will be transmitted on Saturday to the Prime Minister, said Eric Lombard, welcoming “the spirit of responsibility and transparency which animated this entire week”.
The Minister of Public Accounts Amélie de Montchalin, who accompanied him, said she “very reassured by the fact that there are political leaders in our country who (…) who share the feeling (…) that we need a budget quickly”.
Minister of Labor Catherine Vautrin at the Elysée in Paris on January 8, 2025 / Ludovic MARIN / AFP/Archives
The tenants of Bercy will be received on Saturday evening by the Prime Minister, with the Minister of Labor and Health Catherine Vautrin, according to a source within the executive.
The debate concerns above all the cost of calling into question the reform while the government wants a budgetary effort of around 50 billion euros this year.
According to the National Old Age Insurance Fund, repealing the increase in the retirement age would cost 3.4 billion euros in 2025 and nearly 16 billion in 2032. The PS proposes to use the Retirement Reserve Fund created at the end of the 1990s, to the tune of 2 to 3 billion euros this year.
The government must also not alienate the support of the Macronists who defended the reform despite massive demonstrations by opponents.
“Our position is that we do not want to touch pension reform”repeated former Budget Minister Thomas Cazenave on TF1.
Alongside pensions, the socialists have put other issues on the table, such as job cuts in National Education or tax justice.
According to the newspaper L’Opinion, Amélie de Montchalin raised with them the idea of taxing the wealth of the richest.
To the press on Friday evening, the minister simply announced the « conviction » of the government that it was not necessary “reduce the deficit by increasing taxes on the middle classes”.
