How far will Emmanuel Macron go to reform the pension system? The boss of MoDem François Bayrou assured, Sunday, October 9, to have “the conviction” that the Head of State will not raise the retirement age to 67. “I am convinced that it is not his idea”said François Bayrou, interviewed on Radio J.
The boss of the Modem was reacting to a proposal from Edouard Philippe, holding the right wing of the majority with his Horizons party, and who urged, on Saturday, in The Parisianthe executive at “move a lot” on pensions. Edouard Philippe also pleaded for a postponement of the starting age to 65, or even 67 years old. “I do not share this idea that the only future of pensions is to raise the legal retirement age to 67”, commented for his part François Bayrou.
The MoDem boss recently stood out by warning against everything “forced passage” around this reform. Emmanuel Macron, who seemed to want to act this fall, proved him right since he asked the government to open new consultations, while setting the implementation of the reform in the summer of 2023. “I strongly believe in the need to take the time to clarify the reasons that make pension reform essential, especially in the eyes of public opinion”pleaded again François Bayrou, Sunday.
“You know that[Emmanuel Macron] said during the election campaign that he was flexible on this question of age”, argued François Bayrou. He recalled that the Head of State had said he was ready to gradually shift the milestone, with a first stage at 64 years old. “The more flexibility you put in, the better it is, and the less it is rejected”argued François Bayrou. “I think that the question of pensions is not only a budgetary question: the question of pensions is a social project”he insisted.
Otherwise, François Bayrou said to himself on Sunday “ready” to be a candidate in the presidential election of 2027, noting that “France is doing badly” then “that she could be fine”. “I have always been ready”argued François Bayrou on Radio J, recalling having “already been a candidate three times” in 2002, 2007 and 2012. “I am a full citizen. And have I ever given up exercising this citizenship? No”he added.