After the result of the legislative elections, can Emmanuel Macron still propose his pension reform? No, according to Laurent Berger. For the secretary general of the CFDT, eco guest of franceinfo Monday, June 20“that would be madness“: “You would have to be totally crazy to put this subject on the table (…) What the elections tell us is that the country is not doing well. To recover from the very high social conflict, because this pension reform at age 65 would be totally unfair, it would be pure madness“.
On the main economic and social issues, will the head of state and his supporters have to make compromises? “He will have no choice“, replies Laurent Berger, “and expect results“: “We must act on the issues of purchasing power, employment, the evolution of work, and on environmental issues (…) The President of the Republic, like the current Prime Minister, will have to listen to civil society, the trade unions, build compromise“.
“If we don’t give back the power to live to citizens, we won’t get there. And that will be done with associations, with local elected officials, with trade unions, and also with politicians.”
Laurent Berger, general secretary of the CFDTon franceinfo
Emmanuel Macron wants to present several measures for purchasing power, starting next month. But facing him, several opposition parties are pushing their own measures: a massive reduction in VAT, for example for the National Rally, or even the blocking of the prices of basic necessities and the minimum wage at 1,500 euros for the parties of left.
For Laurent Berger, who has just been reappointed head of the CFDT, certain measures are a priority: “It is absolutely necessary to maintain the tariff shield [sur les gaz et l’électricité], otherwise you can imagine that for a certain number of households it will just be impossible to have access to energy. We also need more targeted measures on travel, mobility (…) We also need the revaluation of the index point” of the public service. Of the “consequent measures“, according to him.