Paris (AFP)

"Let everyone take responsibility": Prime Minister Édouard Philippe warned the strikers opposed to the pension reform that the French may not "accept" to be "deprived" of the Christmas holidays, in an interview with Parisien Sunday .

"I can see that everyone is worried about Christmas coming. Christmas is an important moment. But everyone will have to take responsibility. I don't think the French would accept that some people could deprive them of this moment", said the head of government, after ten days of a movement strongly disrupting transport.

"I would not say that the whole country is on strike. It is not a total blockage, but it is painful. The right to strike exists, but this impact on millions of Ile-de-France residents, in particular, is also what who is wanted by certain trade union organizations ", he condemns, changing his tone on this strike.

As for companies penalized, "we are thinking about (…) smoothing measures for the payment of their social security contributions, so that (they) manage to pass the course", as at the time of the crisis of "yellow vests", adds Mr. Philippe.

Faced with the need for a simulator to allow everyone to measure the effects of the reform, the tenant of Matignon says that "we are building it, it is not easy", because "it is necessary that all assumptions, all data be stabilized. "

He asked before Wednesday the teams of the High Commissioner for Pensions Jean-Paul Delevoye a "maximum of typical cases", for example on the case of a 50 year old professor with 3 children. And the "complete" simulator must be ready "during 2020, preferably at the beginning of 2020".

Why not pass the reform by points by referendum? "Legally, it is not at all impossible" but "the deputies were elected to do what was promised" and "I therefore think that an examination by the Parliament is essential", replied the Prime Minister.

He does not "ask" the question of a possible resignation if this reform fails: "Otherwise, we do nothing more. This reform, I believe in it. I am determined. That is why I'm calm".

© 2019 AFP