Next week will be marked by two days of mobilization against the pension reform. There are a few days left for both sides to refine their strategies.
It’s like a second round that opens next week. On the sidelines of the debates in the Senate on pensions, the oppositions and the unions do not want to release the pressure. Two days of mobilization, March 7 and 11. Two days at least, because Tuesday opens the way to renewable strikes. The showdown will therefore be played out in the street, if not played out in the Senate.
On the executive side, officially, caution and a wait-and-see attitude. In reality, within the government, we are preparing for a big day of blocking on March 7. Nobody tries to minimize the mobilization. On the other hand, in an attempt to trivialize and divert attention, the executive wants to show that life goes on and that the other reforms are taking their course.
In the next few hours and this weekend, you will hear Macronie explain to you that the French do not talk to them that much about pensions. That there are other subjects: drought, health, purchasing power. So many themes that the executive is trying to put forward. A form of diversion before observing if the movement takes hold over time.
Will the mobilization “go up a notch”?
On the side of the opponents of the reform, we have galvanized unions that are getting organized. Thursday March 2, the CGT called on electricians, gas operators, refiners, railway workers, but also dockers and glass workers to “go up a notch”. The unions promise an “unforgettable” mobilization. Unions and opposition won the battle of opinion during the first round. They still have to win the battle of mobilization and that of blocking.
But that’s not the last step. As a rebellious executive puts it, “it will then be necessary to win that of resignation”. Because in any match, you have to keep up the effort over time. The government is precisely banking on the breathlessness of the movement.
The strategy for the left? Regain strength and return to the heart of the debates. After having saturated the space in the assembly with its amendments and sometimes its excesses, the left has become less visible in recent days. Attention shifted to right-wing senators. A difficulty in particular for La France insoumise, which thrives on this visibility. Behind the scenes, LFI is preparing to relaunch itself, to support strikes in companies, to encourage colleges and high schools to blockages.
Beyond March 7, the objective of the rebels is to put the country on hold for several days. From Tuesday will be born, or not, a movement. The future of pension reform is largely based on this bet.