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", declares 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 businesses penalized, "we are considering (...) 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 M. Philippe.

Faced with the need for an "official" simulator to allow everyone to measure the effects of the reform, the tenant of Matignon says that "we are building it, it's not easy", because "it takes that all the assumptions, all the data are stabilized ".

He asked before next Wednesday the teams of the high commissioner for pensions Jean-Paul Delevoye a "maximum of typical cases", for example on the case of a professor of 50 years with 3 children. And the "complete" simulator must be ready "during 2020, preferably at the beginning of 2020".

"When the system (of new pensions) is launched (in 2022 for those aged 18 and a first job, note), there will be an application for those who have a smartphone," said the head of government.

In the meantime, "all the retirement simulators you see lying around are false," he says.

The special regimes will be deleted "all at the same time and we end at the same pace" later, he said.

And concerning the teachers, "our objective is to revalorize (their) remuneration", which "will start from January 1, 2021, according to terms which are to be determined during the 1st semester 2020 and which will apply for several years", indicates Edouard Philippe, Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer tackling it.

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", answers 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