Roland Lescure was the guest of “8h30 franceinfo”, Saturday March 18, 2023.
Roland Lescure, Minister Delegate for Industry, was the guest of the “8:30 a.m. france infoSaturday March 18, 2023. Pensions, motions of censure, anti-inflation basket… He answered questions from Jules de Kiss and Neila Latrous.
Mobilization against 49.3: demonstrations “perhaps not totally spontaneous”
“The debate will go to the end in the Assembly, the rest are unwelcome distractions”, declared on Saturday March 18 on franceinfo Roland Lescure, Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, in charge of Industry. Since the activation of 49.3 by the government on Thursday March 16, many mobilizations have taken place in France and the unions are calling for demonstrations.
These local demonstrations, as there were in Paris, Lyon, Strasbourg, or Saint-Etienne, “may not be totally spontaneous. We are talking about a hundred people. We see a few hundred individuals committing absolutely unacceptable acts.”
The latest major demonstrations have brought together “a million people in the streets who opposed the reform in a civil, serious, determined and calm way”explained Roland Lescure. “What concerns me is the irresponsibility of some who seem to blow on the embers rather than extinguish them.”
Jean-Luc Mélenchon encouraged spontaneous demonstrations throughout France. “Jean-Luc Mélenchon, this is not the first time, is outrageous and rather in the camp of irresponsibility”, said Roland Lescure. Facing him, “We have union leaders who are calling for responsible demonstrations, the vast majority of the political class who are calling for a responsible opposition and in the face of that, we have a government that takes its responsibilities.”
The government “wants to go all the way” on pension reform
Roland Lescure warned, “it is out of the question that urban violence will lead us to back down on an essential reform. There is a democratic debate which continues.” If the government used 49.3 it was because it did not want “that a vote for this reform is subject to the mood of some opposition parliamentarians who would have voted one way or another depending on the mood of the day or the weather the day before. It is a essential reform and we want to go all the way”insisted Roland Lescure.
Two motions of censure were tabled against the pension reform. “We will see” if it is voted on Monday or not, but “I am responsible for this reform.” Using 49.3, “the government puts the weight of its existence behind a reform that it considers essential. It is quite a strong gesture.”
No risk of fuel shortage, requisitions from garbage collectors in progress
On the union side, “we have to resume the dialogue, but it has never been broken.” Emmanuel Macron will receive the unions, “in a logic to project forward. It is quite likely” let him speak solemnly.
Beyond demonstrations, strikes have many consequences, but Roland Lescure wanted to be reassuring. “Do not panic”he said regarding fuel as the CGT of Bouches-du-Rhône calls on the French to refuel. “Most gas stations in France have petrol. What shocks me is that we try to create panic so that people go to get petrol and we end up potentially without it. We are not going to leave a country blocked by a few dozen individuals.”
In Paris, garbage collectors are still on strike but “the requisitions are in progress”assured Roland Lescure.