Paris (AFP)

After the baptism of fire in Parliament, the social agenda: Jean Castex continues his accelerated learning of Matignon by receiving social partners on Thursday and Friday, prelude to the reopening of the explosive files of pensions and unemployment insurance.

From the early hours of the morning until the last light of day Thursday, before a resumption Friday afternoon, it's the big parade of unions and employers at the Hôtel de Matignon, come to take the pulse of the intentions of the new Prime Minister .

"He is renowned in the union environment, rather appreciated, because in the functions he held, he always favored dialogue, but once again (...) we will see what happens," summarized the boss of CFDT Laurent Berger, who opens the ball of bilateral talks from 8:30 a.m.

Mr. Berger had been the key interlocutor of the previous tenant of the premises, Edouard Philippe, during the pension reform whose jolts had punctuated last winter, before being suspended by the epidemic of coronavirus.

Favorable to the establishment of a universal points system - a campaign promise from Emmanuel Macron - but against the introduction of a "pivotal age", Mr. Berger had snatched up the setting up of a funding conference , supposed to solve the problem of financial balance. Except that ... five months later, the economic, social and political situation has changed again.

It remains to be seen how much. Because Mr. Castex expressed his determination to reopen the file and to settle it "in the short term", when the social partners lean, at least, for a postponement, while the dust of the crisis settles.

"Refusing to talk about pensions when the balance of accounts, and therefore the safeguard of the current system is compromised, would be irresponsible," argued the Prime Minister before the Senate on Wednesday.

"I will reopen the dialogue, all the trade union organizations will come to discuss with me (...) and we will agree on a method and a timetable," added the head of government during the current affairs session. , stating that he would address "the issue of pensions in a global framework".

- "Provocation" -

Mr. Castex also drew up his method: the reform of the system, and therefore of the special regimes, will be continued, but separate "from the measures that need to be taken to safeguard the current system", of a financial nature. According to a provisional estimate by the Pensions Guidance Council (COR), the deficit in the pension system should approach the record level of 30 billion euros this year, very far from the 4 billion expected before the crisis.

"Bring out the issue of universal points reform, come and tell us we will still do it, we will change two or three things, frankly it's provocation, everyone is against", stormed back the boss of CFE-CGC François Hommeril.

"This is really not the time to reopen such a file," added Yves Veyrier (FO), while appreciating the "signal" sent by the immediate reception of the unions.

In addition to pensions, other imposing projects are fallow, such as the unemployment insurance reform, the second part of which was to come into force on September 1. Mr. Castex wants to "postpone the implementation", while the unions are calling for its abandonment.

The new Prime Minister arrives in any case preceded by a flattering reputation of "super negotiator", as depicted by a former collaborator in the cabinet of Xavier Bertrand, that Mr. Castex directed at Health (2006-2007) then at Work ( 2007-2008).

The man who was also Nicolas Sarkozy's social advisor at the Elysée Palace insisted on this point since taking office, as if to stand out from his predecessor: "Listening, the search for compromise must be an absolute necessity, not simply for the sake of consensus, but because they constitute essential pledges of public efficiency, "he insisted Monday evening before the parliamentarians of the majority.

"Dialogue and concertation, we already heard about it before and it did not happen," retorted Wednesday evening, cautious, the CGT leader Philippe Martinez.

© 2020 AFP