Pau (AFP)
Emmanuel Macron was caught up on Tuesday, during a visit to Pau on the theme of ecology, by the dispute over the pension reform with a small demonstration of angry lawyers and a tense exchange with a teacher.
Several dozen lawyers in black dresses carrying a banner "Angry lawyers" gathered in front of the town hall of Pau where they waited in vain for the head of state. Gathered in particular by the young lawyers' union (UJA), they then tried unsuccessfully to approach the Palais Beaumont, where a round table was held on ecology in the territories, surrounded by the police, a found an AFP journalist.
Upon arriving, Emmanuel Macron was arrested by a college math teacher who shouted at him to "withdraw" his pension reform. The president then stopped to chat with him for several minutes.
"Do not give a legion of honor to BlackRock, it is not exemplary," said the teacher, referring to the decoration recently attributed to Jean-François Cirelli, boss of the French branch of the powerful American fund. .
"No, the pension reform is a gift for all these people, because people will be forced to take (pensions) next, look at the teachers," continued the professor. "It is not true," contested the president.
The exchange, in a lively tone, continued a little before ending with a handshake.
During the round table, opened by the mayor François Bayrou (Modem), Emmanuel Macron affirmed that the "most effective" way to lead the ecological transition in the territories, "is to make that everyone is an actor" , because "big plans rarely work".
François Bayrou then presented the president with a new hydrogen bus recently in service in his city, on which he circulated a few tens of meters.
By appearing with him, Emmanuel Macron renews his support for the boss of the Modem, who was indicted on December 6 for complicity in the misappropriation of public funds in the investigation of the assistants of MEPs MoDem. The mayor of Pau has not yet said whether he will stand for re-election.
© 2020 AFP