Last chance rendezvous Monday and Tuesday at Matignon. Edouard Philippe receives the unions and the employers to discuss the pension reform and try to calm the grumbling, while the big strike of December 5th is approaching. Around the Prime Minister, there will inevitably be a question of the famous "grandfather clause", the idea that the reform only applies to new entrants into the labor market. The executive keeps this measure in reserve in case of hard conflict. But it is far from unanimous in the government.
"There is a problem now but we will decide in thirty years"
First there was Jean-Paul Delevoye. The High Commissioner for pensions did not hide his hostility to the "grandfather clause" a fortnight ago. Last week, it was Agnès Buzyn's turn, the Minister of Health, to evoke a "not credible" option. And again on Sunday, another member of the government who expressed his skepticism: Gerald Darmanin.
"If we made that the clause of the grandfather, it would be in thirty years that one would have a pension reform.This is not possible", released the Minister of Public Accounts on BFMTV. "We need a moment of consultation, of course, but we can not say: 'in thirty years there will be a reform, there is a problem now but we will decide in thirty years', that is objectively not possible. ", insisted Gérald Darmanin.
"Better not to put an option in the trash"
A few hours from the Prime Minister's discussions with the unions, Matignon did not necessarily need that. "Before seeing the social partners, it is better not to put an option in the trash," says an adviser to Edouard Philippe. "Even if we are all aware of the problems of the clause of the grandfather," he adds all the same.
This clause would in any case clearly have the air of renunciation. The head of state himself said so on Friday: he is keen on his reform. For new entrants, but not only. Emmanuel Macron simply explains that we must find the right transition rhythms "for everyone".