Aurélien Pradié, executive vice-president of the Les Républicains party and deputy for Lot, was the guest of the 8:30 a.m. franceinfoThursday, February 9, 2023. Long careers, pensions, special regime for senators, benefits of TotalEnergies… He answered questions from Marc Fauvelle and Salhia Brakhlia.
Long careers: Aurélien Pradié denounces “unbearable caricatures”
Aurélien Pradié denounced the “unbearable cartoons” of the government on its proposal concerning long careers as part of the pension reform: “It is absolutely crazy in this political debate on pensions that we refuse to hear contradictions without necessarily caricaturing them”. The number two of the Republicans wants all those who started working before the age of 21 not to contribute more than 43 annuities. He refuted the idea that with his measure, you would have to work just one term before age 21 to be able to leave before age 64. “Just because you did a term before 21 doesn’t mean you’re going to leave at 60 or 62. I never offered that”he replied.
“My proposal is therefore clear. It has not changed. If tomorrow the government moves forward and tells us ‘all those who have a long career and who started before the age of 21 do not make more than 43 annual contributions, I will vote for the text”, he recalled. If not, it will lead “the battle to the end”. But he opens the door: “I am ready to discuss. I have always said so, including to the government”, he said. Except that the government considers its proposal too expensive: 10 billion euros. Figures that he refutes. “I demanded an impact study. I affirm that the measure does not cost more than 2 billion euros. I hold it, including from the government”he said.
Pension reform: “I have no pact with the government”
“You can caricature me as much as you want. You can consider that I am an extremist, but I have no pact with the government”, said Aurélien Pradié. A barely veiled criticism of Eric Ciotti, the boss of the Republicans, who agreed with the government on several measures to win their votes in favor of the reform. “I am not a deputy of the Republic in March. Eric Ciotti is not either. Allow me not to be the little finger on the seam of the pants in a barracks”he explained. “We may not share all my ideas. We can also try to respect them. I do not give in to any pressure, I do not give in to any ultimatum, I do not give in to any intimidation. I want to defend convictions”he launched.
Special regimes for senators: “The question arises”
Aurélien Pradié estimated that “the question arose” on the end of the special regime for senators. “The senators know it. We are in a country where injustices are too present for us to really be able to make a democracy work”, he explained. Gérard Larcher promises to “evolve” the special regime for senators. The pension scheme for deputies is already almost aligned with the general scheme. The Senate is lagging behind. The government bill does not provide for any changes, as only the Senate office can decide on any changes.
Benefits of TotalEnergies: we need “a much more lively, much stronger gesture” towards the French
While the TotalEnergies group announces a record net profit of just over 19 billion euros in 2022, Aurélien Pradié is waiting for a gesture vis-à-vis the French people who live “an incredible inflation situation”. Are Total’s superprofits fair? “I do not believe that”, he believes. He has put aside the idea of an additional tax, but calls for “a much livelier, much stronger gesture” for the French people. “The government must also bring the leaders of Total around the table, wondering if other measures are possible”he suggests.
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Find the entire “8h30 franceinfo” of Thursday February 9, 2023: