It is an initiative which should launch Emmanuel Macron’s second five-year term in earnest: the National Council for Refoundation (CNR), mentioned by the Head of State in early June, should see the light of day on Thursday 8 September. The body must bring together political actors, unions, associations and citizens around several major long-term reform themes, such as full employment, old age, health or education. However, the CNR will see its opening session in Marcoussis (Essonne) snubbed by a large part of the opposition.
Confronted with this boycott, Elisabeth Borne deplored that the other parties “refuse discussion”while ensuring that “the door would remain open”. Franceinfo takes stock of the participants and those absent from this back-to-school political meeting.
They participate in the CNR by supporting the initiative
The Republic on the move. The presidential party, which will soon be renamed Renaissance, is the cornerstone of the National Council for Refoundation and will obviously be represented during the discussions.
The Modem. Component of the majority since 2017, the MoDem of François Bayrou will be well represented within this new body. The mayor of Pau, who has also been High Commissioner for Planning since September 2020, will also take care of the general secretariat of the CNR.
They participate with reservations
Horizons, without Edouard Philippe. Traveling to Quebec on September 8, for the congress of cities classified as World Heritage by Unesco, Edouard Philippe will not attend the beginnings of the CNR. Officially, the mayor of Le Havre and former Prime Minister wants to give way to another local elected official, the mayor of Albi, Stephanie Guiraud-Chaumeil, to represent it. Unofficially, “Edouard Philippe absolutely does not believe in the CNR”recognizes one of his relatives with franceinfo.
The Cesa. The Economic, Social and Environmental Council (Cese) very quickly declared, through the voice of its president, that it was “ready to take part in a refoundation that he has been calling for for a long time”. Thursday, Thierry Beaudet will go to Marcoussis “without posture, but without naivety”he says to Figaroadding that “the National Council for Refoundation should not be the National Council for endorsement”.
CFDT. In the eyes of Laurent Berger, head of the union, the CNR must prove itself. “I did not understand that it was an instance, I understood that it was a new method that had to be started. We will judge by the actions and what will be decided at the release of the 8th. I’ll be hired so it can produce something. If not, I’ll say so.” he proclaimed Friday on franceinfo.
The CFE-CGC. The French Confederation of Management-General Confederation of Managers (CFE-CGC) will be around the table in Marcoussis. But “This National Council for Refoundation smells like fraud”judged on Wednesday on franceinfo François Hommeril, the president of the executives’ union.
CFTC. Members of the French Confederation of Christian Workers (CFTC) remain skeptical of the Head of State’s new method. “We feel that the government wants to make it understood that it has heard the message from the ballot box and give more voice to the people, but we are still far from it”advance to Figaro Cyril Chabanier, the president of the union, who will be present during the discussions.
The Medef. If they will go to Marcoussis on Thursday, the representatives of Medef are not completely convinced by the initiative: “The change will also come through innovations in terms of governance, like perhaps the CNR, even if I doubt the effectiveness of an organization of sixty people”declared Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux to the Figaro.
CPME. Like the Medef, the Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CPME) is not completely convinced by the new body wanted by Emmanuel Macron. “We will make our contribution”explain to Figaro François Asselin, its president, disappointed not to see pensions appear on the menu of discussions.
They have not yet decided if they will participate
working force. The FO union remains undecided. “Let’s restore the place it deserves to collective bargaining, this is what makes the social cohesion of our Republic”said Frédéric Souillot, the national secretary of the union, Friday August 26, on Europe 1.
The CGT. The union will decide tuesday 6 september on his participation in the CNR. But by denouncing very early “a gas plant” as well as’“a provocation” in reference to the National Council of the Resistance, the CGT clearly takes the path of a package.
They have already refused to participate
The Republicans. According to Olivier Marleix, president of the LR deputies, “it is out of the question to participate in all this; that the President of the Republic do the institutional work which must be his”, he believes. Gérard Larcher, President LR of the Senate, meanwhile announced in a letter to Emmanuel Macron that he would not participate in the CNR: “I think that this body cannot achieve the renovation of democracy to which you aspire”he judges.
The National Rally. At the end of July, the spokeswoman for the RN brushed aside a possible participation of her party in the CNR: “We will not participate, it’s a scam, it’s still one more thing, one more contraption in France”, estimated Laure Lavalette. In June, Marine Le Pen had already refused to participate “to any structure whatsoever which seeks to withdraw power from the National Assembly”.
France rebellious. During the summer university of the radical left party, Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s movement confirmed to AFP and France Bleu that it would not participate in the body, which corresponds to the “Big Blabla Season 2”according to the former presidential candidate.
The Socialist Party. According to several socialist sources joined by franceinfo, the rose party declined Emmanuel Macron’s invitation.
Europe Ecology-The Greens. The environmental party announced on Tuesday August 30 its intention not to go to this meeting. “There is a consensus” within the executive office not to go there, explained to AFP the number 2 of the party, Sandra Regol. “If it was a real work meeting, we would have gone there. But here, it sounds more like a communication tool. We didn’t see the point of going there.”
The Communist Party. PCF spokesman Ian Brossat confirmed to franceinfo his party’s refusal to participate in the CNR. “Everything shows that the president wants to circumvent the democratic authorities”he complains.