The Prime Minister multiplies, from Monday to Wednesday, the meetings to try to “appease” the tensions. But these consultations are boycotted by the Nupes and could turn into a dialogue of the deaf with the inter-union.
Elisabeth Borne’s week promises to be busy. The Prime Minister, to whom Emmanuel Macron entrusted the mission of “expand the majority” , invited to Matignon this week the inter-union, party leaders and presidents of parliamentary groups. The government hopes to put out the fire around the pension reform, adopted via 49.3, as an eleventh day of mobilization looms, Thursday, April 6 . But the invitation was rejected by all the left-wing parties that are members of the Nupes. On the side of the unions, we threaten to slam the door. Franceinfo takes stock of the political agenda for the next three days.
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Monday: Elisabeth Borne receives centrists and independents
According to the Prime Minister’s press service, Elisabeth Borne receives Christophe Naegelen, co-president of the Liot group at the National Assembly, Monday at 1:30 p.m., in the company of Hervé Marseille, president of the Union of Democrats and Independents (UDI ) and the Centrist Union group in the Senate, as well as the centrist senator Valérie Létard.
At 2:30 p.m., it will be the turn of Jean-Claude Requier, president of the European Democratic and Social Rally group in the Senate, to speak with the Prime Minister. Laurent Hénart, president of the Radical Party, will be received at 3 p.m. and Bertrand Pancher, president of the Liot group at the National Assembly, at 4:30 p.m., specifies Matignon.
On the other hand, the PS will not make the trip. The Socialists thus join the Ecologists, La France insoumise and the Communists, who have all declined the invitation. In its press release, the PS explains that it does not wish “participate in any consultation (…) before knowing the follow-up given to the meeting with the inter-union scheduled for April 5”.
Tuesday: a meeting with environmentalists on the maintenance of order
If environmentalists have declined Elisabeth Borne’s invitation to discuss pension reform, refusing to “participate in the communication exercise” of the Prime Minister, iOn the other hand, they obtained an appointment at Matignon “to talk about maintaining order, the climate of violence against environmental activists and the necessary appeasement”. On Twitter, Marine Tondelier, thehe national secretary of Europe Ecologie-Les Verts, specifies that this meeting will take place on Tuesday.
For the rest, we will discuss it on Tuesday with the Prime Minister. pic.twitter.com/QHfl9dl4vo
— Marine Tondelier (@marinetondelier) April 2, 2023
That same day, left-wing parliamentarians will walk from the Assembly to the Elysée, at the initiative of the Communists, to deliver a letter to Emmanuel Macron. According to Public Senate, they intend to ask him “solemnly” the withdrawal of the pension reform. The 252 deputies and senators who signed the bill calling for a shared initiative referendum (RIP) on the postponement of the legal age are invited to join the demonstration.
Wednesday: the Prime Minister meets with the inter-union
The tensest day is expected to be Wednesday. Elisabeth Borne must receive the employers’ organizations and trade unions, on the eve of a new day of mobilization scheduled for Thursday. This meeting, the first since the presentation of the reform on January 10, could be short-lived as the differences are strong.
The executive remains intransigent on the postponement to 64 of the legal age of departure, refusing to put on hold a judged reform “necessary”. On the side of the unions, we threaten to slam the door during the meeting. If the executive refuses to talk about the 64 years, “we will leave”warned Laurent Berger, the leader of the CFDT. “It can take five minutes”abounded Sophie Binet, the new boss of the CGT.
Wednesday evening, at 7.30 p.m., it will be the turn of Olivier Marleix, president of the Les Républicains group in the National Assembly, Bruno Retailleau, boss of LR senators, and Eric Ciotti, president of the party, to be invited to discuss with the head of government. If the three figures of the Republicans had spoken in favor of the reform, a third of the deputies of the LR group had however voted for the motion of censure towards Elisabeth Borne.
Marine Le Pen will be received on Tuesday April 11, her entourage reports to franceinfo. However, the president of the RN group in the National Assembly estimated on Sunday that Elisabeth Borne was “totally charred”. “Politically, she no longer has authority”she said on LCI.