A first response to the anger of the street. If President Emmanuel Macron will not abandon or distort the pension reform project, he remains "willing to improve it," said the Elysee Palace on Wednesday, December 18.

The head of state plans in particular "a possible improvement around the pivotal age," said his entourage. Emmanuel Macron "is willing to improve it, through discussions with the unions and in key establishments such as the SNCF and the RATP," added the Élysée, adding that "it is in the order of things that there will be progress by the end of the week. "

Lack of truce for unions

The president has set himself the "objective of obtaining a break" from mobilization "during the holiday season" at the end of the year, said his entourage.

The government wants to lower the retirement age, with a pivotal age set at 64 from 2027, in order to balance the system financially. Employees retiring before this age would suffer a discount, those who leave later receive a "bonus" on the contrary. The unions reject this idea altogether, notably the CFDT, which is in favor of a unification of the 42 existing pension systems, but considers the pivotal age as a "red line".

While the executive seems to hope for proposals from the unions on this point, the entourage of Emmanuel Macron described on Wednesday a government "in a cycle of negotiations and permanent discussions" with a view to obtaining a break mobilization against reform.

A new "M. Retraites"

The day after a third day of demonstration against the pension reform and three days before the Christmas holidays, Edouard Philippe receives on Wednesday, with the new "M. Retraites" Laurent Pietraszewski, the unions to try to find a way out of the crisis , under the threat of new blockages in transport during the holidays.

>> Read also: The new "M. Retraites", Laurent Pietraszewski, meets the unions this Wednesday

Time is running out, especially as the strike continues in public transport and getting around remains a challenge on Wednesday, particularly in Île-de-France.

With AFP

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