The Constitutional Council validated Friday the main part of the pension reform, including the postponement of the retirement age to 64 years.
It was a much-awaited decision after three months of political and social crisis. After seven hours of continuous debate on Friday April 14, the Constitutional Council validated most of the pension reform. Only six provisions are excluded, including the “senior index”. The Elders rejected the request for a split initiative referendum. “Tonight, there is neither winner nor loser”, reacted Elisabeth Borne on Twitter. For the Minister of Labor Olivier Dussopt, “this decision marks the end of the legislative and democratic process of reform”.
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“The fight continues”, assures Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI)
For Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI), this decision shows that the Constitutional Council “is more attentive to the needs of the presidential monarchy than to those of the sovereign people. The struggle continues and must gather forces”writes the leader of the “rebellious” on Twitter.
“We regret this decision”declared on franceinfo Mathilde Panot, president of the LFI group in the National Assembly. “I believe that we had solid legal arguments to demand the total censorship of this text and to invalidate a parliamentary procedure which multiplied the passages in force and did not make it possible to guarantee the sincerity of the debates”advances the deputy. With Nupes, “We solemnly call on the President of the Republic not to promulgate this law”, she completes.
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François Ruffin also reacted on Twitter: “Tomorrow, Macron and all his friends will be defeated, at the polls or in the streets.” He predicts that “retirement at 64 will be abolished” and adds that “The Citizens’ Initiative Referendum will prevail to no longer leave full powers to a new king.”
For Alexis Corbière, LFI MP, “the disagreement remains, the popular rejection remains and nothing stops”. And he assures: “The people have not said their last word”.
“We are now on a volcano”, launches Fabien Roussel (PCF)
“The law passed through the Constitutional Council is even worse than the law voted in Parliamentestimates the boss of the Communist Party on his Twitter account. The social measures have been removed. Promulgating within 48 hours would be a monumental slap in the face to the people who are mobilizing!” Fabien Roussel calls to demonstrate on May 1st.
“Here lies the tomb of the Fifth Republic”, reacts Olivier Besancenot (NPA)
“1958/2023: RIP, wrote Olivier Besancenot, spokesperson for the New Anti-Capitalist Party (NPA), on Twitter. The struggle continues”.
“It is also up to us not to let go”, to express anger, to continue the fight for our livesabounds Philippe Poutou, another spokesperson for the NPA. The 64 years validated, Macron and the power brutally go to the end of their politics, of their class war, for their selfish privileges, contemptuous of popular protest.
“A disappointment, not a surrender” according to Olivier Faure (PS)
“It’s a disappointment not a surrender”, reacts Olivier Faure, the boss of the Socialist Party to franceinfo, who quotes Robert Badinter: “Not every unconstitutional law is necessarily bad, but not every bad law is necessarily unconstitutional”. He says think “to the French women and men who have been demonstrating for months and have lost part of their salary, have put all their hopes in this mobilization and this evening must also be very disappointed with this decision. But I tell them that the fight is not over. don’t stop there, it will take other forms.” Olivier Faure believes that “we are facing a bad, unjust, illegitimate law”, “even if constitutionally, it has been validated”.
The socialist deputy of Essonne Jérôme Guedj feels “necessarily, a little spite and disappointment”after the validation by the Constitutional Council of the main part of the pension reform. “As I am a consistent Republican, I take note of the decision of the Constitutional Council”he adds on France Inter.
An “illegitimate” reform, judge Marine Tondelier (EELV)
“Our institutions are increasingly disconnected from the aspirations of the French people”writes on Twitter, Marine Tondelier, national secretary of EELV. “Did you like the accelerated procedure, the blocked votes and the 49-3? You will love the validation of the 64th birthday by the Constitutional Council and the rejection of the request for a shared initiative referendum”she adds. “The reform is legal, but more than ever illegitimate”, according to her, regretting “the democratic impasse”. “The parties, the unions, the French will not move on”, says Marine Tondelier again, who says she is also “shocked” by the rejection of the citizens’ initiative referendum requested by the left.
For her part Sandrine Rousseau just the social situation “almost worse than before the decision of the Constitutional Council.” She announces the sending of a letter to Emmanuel Macron “in the name of the Nupes, (…) so that article 10 of the Constitution can be deployed and that it [le texte] goes back to Parliament, to show that there is no majority in Parliament to pass this law.” Sandrine Rousseau denounces the absence of an impact study. “Today in France, making a law of this magnitude without an impact study means putting people in immediate danger, particularly women who will pay the heaviest price in this reform.”
Eric Ciotti (LR) calls on “all political forces” to “accept” the decision
On the side of the Republicans, Eric Ciotti calls “all political forces” To “accept” the decision of the Constitutional Council, while considering that “the censorship of certain articles punishes the errors of method of the government”. The president of the Les Républicains party calls in a press release for a “quick meeting of a great social conference” on purchasing power and work, emphasizing that “the question of work and its rehabilitation must return to the heart of our discussions”.
“The Constitutional Council has just declared that the law on pensions complies with our Constitution. I am delighted, because this reform is essential to guarantee the level of pensions, today and tomorrow”, reacts on franceinfo, Bruno Retailleau, president of the LR group in the Senate. He calls Emmanuel Macron to enact “quickly” the law and renew the dialogue with the unions, in particular so that the Labor Law “be the result of a real consultation”.
“The political fate of the reform is not sealed”, according to Marine Le Pen (RN)
“The political fate of the pension reform is not sealed”reacts Marine Le Pen on Twitter. “The people always having the last word, it will be up to them to prepare the alternation which will come back to this useless and unjust reform.”
For Jordan Bardella, “Emmanuel Macron will not be able to hide behind the decision of the Constitutional Council, which in no way closes the debate on pension reform. This reform remains massively rejected by the French, and the fracture between the president and the people is today gaping”writes the president of the National Rally on his Twitter account.
The Constitutional Council “gags the French people”, regrets Nicolas Dupont-Aignan (DLF)
For the president of the “Debout la France!” party, the decision of the Elders is “unworthy” And “disqualifies the Constitutional Council. By refusing to recognize the abuse of procedure of article 47.1, and by dismissing the RIP, the Council is gagging the French people and becoming the accomplice of Emmanuel Macron”adds Nicolas Dupont-Aignan.
A “relief” for the pay-as-you-go pension system, welcomes MP Jean-René Cazeneuve (Renaissance)
“Our pay-as-you-go pension system is saved and that’s the most important thing for us. That was the meaning of this law. (…) Relief, that’s the word”, explains on franceinfo Jean-René Cazeneuve, Renaissance deputy and general rapporteur of the Finance Committee of the National Assembly. He calls for “everyone respects the decision of the Council. For several weeks there have been too many challenges to our institutions”. “Perhaps we have explained our law badly and this work of pedagogy continues, admits the majority deputy. This is not the end. We still have very important work to do with the unions to prepare for the future”.
Same tone on the side of Aurore Bergé, president of the Renaissance group in the Assembly, who now calls on the deputies to “to work in the National Assembly with all the responsible political forces and all the social partners”.
“Let’s find the path of social dialogue and move forward for the French. Parliament is ready for itlaunches Yaël Braun-Pivet, the president (Renaissance) of the National Assembly, on Twitter. Our only compass: the law and our common rules. The procedure and the text of the pension reform have been deemed to comply with our Constitution by the Constitutional Council.