Paris (AFP)

Prime Minister Jean Castex said on RMC and BFMTV on Wednesday that he wanted to bring "social partners" together before July 20 "on the pension issue in particular.

He wants to "reopen negotiations" on the universal aspect of the reform, to look into financing and wants to bring together the social partners "all together before July 20", after having received them separately on Thursday 9 and Friday 10, in order to " stop a method and schedule ".

He had indicated this weekend that he intended to settle "in the short term" the pension file, with, "at least, a new social agenda".

"We are going to separate what is the more just and necessary future universal regime, with the future of special regimes as a backdrop (...) it is a long-term job, we must undoubtedly reopen the consultations,", he said.

"We have a shorter term subject, the funding of the current system which is greatly impacted by the crisis," he said.

Asked whether he intended to extend the contribution period, Mr. Castex replied: "I am not starting a dialogue and concerted action by giving a solution before starting," he said.

The pension system deficit should approach the record level of 30 billion euros this year, far from the 4 billion expected before the crisis.

Asked about the Ségur de la Santé, he said he thought that after having proposed on Tuesday evening an envelope of 7.5 billion euros for carers outside doctors, "on these bases the negotiation will succeed".

When will this negotiation end? "I hope so this week," he said. "I think the result will be up to expectations."

On the unemployment insurance file, he wants to "postpone the implementation" of the reform, which the unions were asking to abandon, but without further details.

Indicating that he "approved" this reform "made at the time when France had (...) garnered the biggest drop" in unemployment and before the Covid-19 crisis, Mr. Castex estimated that "the common thread, it's people's daily lives, so we adapt our tools to the realities in their interest. "

The second part of this reform, which was to come into force on April 1, was suspended until September 1. The first part, which tightens the conditions for opening rights, has been in effect since November 1, 2019.

Regarding young people, for whom the executive has promised measures, he confined himself to indicating that the government was going to "put in place mechanisms which could massively improve their chances of entering a job", without specifying whether it would be a hiring bonus or a reduction in social security contributions.

© 2020 AFP