François Bayrou is trying to find the right political mix so as not to immediately receive a red card from the National Assembly. The Prime Minister therefore continues his negotiations this Monday in order to avoid censorship from the left and without offending his LR allies, on the eve of his general policy declaration. And the subject at the heart of the discussions is none other than that of the 2023 pension reform.
If a meeting is confirmed at 5:30 p.m. in Matignon between the head of government and the presidents of the two houses of Parliament, Gérard Larcher and Yaël Braun-Pivet, only the meetings in the morning with the agricultural unions are currently listed. ‘diary. The boss of the Socialists Olivier Faure, who demands a “suspension” of the pension reform, affirmed on Sunday on BFMTV that an “exchange with François Bayrou” was planned, without giving further details.
A motion of censure from LFI
Matignon’s arbitrations are expected after a week of intense discussions in Bercy between opposition politicians and ministers Eric Lombard (Economy), Amélie de Montchalin (Public Accounts) and Catherine Vautrin (Health and Labor), received on Saturday at Matignon to present the synthesis of their work.
The Insoumis, who are not participating in the negotiations, have already announced that they will table a motion of censure, which will be examined on Thursday or Friday, putting pressure on their partners in the New Popular Front to vote for it. In the absence of support from the RN for this motion, the government should not fall this week. But he will be expected in the coming weeks on the budget, and will have to once again convince the left not to vote for the motion of censure.
Macronists divided on pensions
On the left, as within the majority, some expect a gesture on pensions from the Prime Minister, who is at his lowest in the polls even though he has only just assumed his functions. Among the Macronists, the President of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, affirmed on Sunday “not to be opposed in principle” to the fact of briefly “stopping” the pension reform to “re-discuss” it, calling it ” ‘unfair’. But proof of the differences within the presidential camp, the Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin, speaking in a personal capacity on LCI, considered that the reform should “not be touched”.
The right, which is part of the government, has already warned that it does not want the reform to be suspended without cost-saving measures, believing that France’s public finances cannot afford it.
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Between now and Tuesday, discussions will therefore continue, with never far from François Bayrou the shadow of the President of the Republic, whose record is closely linked to pension reform. Emmanuel Macron received his Prime Minister at the Elysée on Friday morning, in the company of Eric Lombard, Amélie de Montchalin and Catherine Vautrin.