"I would like everyone to get up for a minute of silence for those who have fallen": it is by this tribute to the victims of the deadly aggression at the police headquarters of Paris that Emmanuel Macron began Thursday night at Rode a "big debate" to explain his pension reform.
"Lift the misunderstandings"
Standing in the middle of 600 guests sitting in a circle, microphone in hand, the head of state has long pleaded to "remove misunderstandings" on his pension reform, repeating the format of direct dialogue he had privileged after the crisis "yellow vests". He immediately defended the usefulness and equity of this ambitious reform that aims to merge into a single point system the 42 existing regimes, by 2025.
The head of state promised that eventually no full pension would be less than 1,000 euros per month. He repeated several times that the legal age of retirement remained at 62, while evoking the need to "define" a "pivotal age" during the current consultation. It is from this age only that one will be able to benefit from a full pension, without discount. "We must not lie, we will have to contribute more, there is no magic solution" because of demographic change and the lengthening of life, he warned.
Launch of a "broad consultation"
The reform will affect neither retirees nor over 56 years, he said - these seniors who form a large part of the electorate of En Marche. This debate launches the "wide consultation" he wants to organize until the end of the year on this reform presented as the most important of the second part of the quinquennium.
The government is doing this on a common front of opposition. In addition to the events organized by FO and the CGT in September, lawyers, doctors and pilots also mobilized, as well as the police in force on Wednesday. Almost all RATP unions have announced a strike that can be renewed from 5 December. According to an Elabe study published Thursday, 43% of French remain opposed to this reform that aims to merge into a single point system the 42 existing regimes, by 2025. 32% are favorable and 24% neutral.