Thursday marks the beginning of a mobilization that wants to be "massive" and "unlimited" against the pension reform. The comparison with the massive strike of 1995 has often been made. Patrick Stefanini was deputy director of the cabinet of Alain Juppé, prime minister at the time. He tells his memories at the microphone of Europe 1.

INTERVIEW

Thursday is a day of massive mobilization against pension reform. Public transport is heavily disturbed and 245 processions are planned everywhere in France. An "unlimited and closely followed" movement that could recall the massive strike of 1995 against the Juppé plan. François Fillon's former campaign manager, Patrick Stefanini, was at the time Alain Juppé's deputy director at Matignon. He recalls on Europe 1 the general state of mind the morning of a social mobilization announced.

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"So you feel a great tension, it's a matter of governing, proposing bills, decrees, and consulting with social partners over the course of the week, but it is another thing to confront them. if there will not be disturbances to the public order and if the event will not degenerate.But we also wonder if we will not get carried away by the wave.

Three weeks of mobilization in 1995

At the time, at the heart of the executive, he was surprised by the extent of the mobilization. "Alain Juppe had, with his entire team, well prepared the reform." His presentation to Parliament on November 15 was a success, applauded by many MPs, including some who were not in the majority, "recalls Patrick Stefanini . "But he had made the choice in the last straight line to add the reform of social schemes.This announcement had not given rise to a real consultation and we have not seen the rise of the wave extremely powerful.

In 1995, two million people are on the street and the mobilization lasts three weeks, before the government backs down. "Looking back, it's a little surreal," recalls Patrick Stefanini. "When you can not keep the thread of social dialogue, it's very complicated."

On the current situation, Patrick Stefanini is rather pessimistic about the future of the pension reform version 2019. "It looks badly embarked, not that it does not have the support of public opinion. backed by a more complex reform that is not understood by the French people are stunned to see that after a year and a half of consultations, in the home stretch, we discover problems that we thought resolved, at the less intellectually. "

Is Édouard Philippe in danger?

Edouard Philippe is at the forefront of this pension reform, but does not necessarily risk his position, according to the former chief of staff. "If we want to make the comparison with 1995, I can say that in both cases, the Prime Minister was expected at the turn." Before qualifying the risk: "In 1995, Chirac had no desire to sacrifice Alain Juppé, he preferred to sacrifice the reform and give up the suppression of special diets.We will see in the coming days what will happen. "

However, one should not rule out the risk that the reform is bogged down. "It would be a real political failure, and perhaps the first Emmanuel Macron since the beginning of the five-year period," says Patrick Stefanini. "The difference with 1995 is that the yellow vests are still there, the roots of their discontent are present.The question posed by this social movement is whether there will be a conjunction of struggles, in which case the Prime Minister's situation can become difficult. "