Pensions: "excellent first reform of 2nd five-year period", according to Ferrand (LREM) - France 24

Paris (AFP)

The President of the National Assembly Richard Ferrand (LREM) estimated Sunday on France 3 that the pension reform, postponed because of the coronavirus crisis, would constitute an "excellent first reform of the second five-year term" for Emmanuel Macron.

Currently, "the question is whether it is the right time and whether the consultations are coming to an end," said Ferrand, while the debate on the fate of this much contested reform has resurfaced.

However, according to the member for Finistère, "we have to get back on our feet because our economy has been expensive, we have to bounce back, find the spirit of conquest after this state of astonishment and hibernation in which the coronavirus has plunged our activity".

And "the first intuition which was mine to say that it was an excellent first reform of the second five-year period is finally quite adapted to the air of the times", he argued.

The debate on the resumption of this reform reappeared recently in the majority, the Minister of the Economy Bruno le Maire assuring that it had to be an "absolute priority" - quickly attracting opposition within the government.

The boss of Medef Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux estimated that "the + parametric + part of the reform (age, contribution period, editor's note), which aims to reduce the deficit, must begin to be implemented before 2022".

But CFDT secretary general Laurent Berger agrees with Mr. Ferrand that this reform "is not affordable in terms of measures to be taken before 2022".

The President of the Assembly underlined on Sunday the fact "that a euro contributed brings to each of us the same thing, therefore a fairer, more equitable retirement, where hardship is better taken into account, (there) remains viscerally attached ".

"Whether on the human level, justice and pension balance, this reform will have to be done," he insisted.

The reform project, the translation of a campaign promise by Emmanuel Macron, had spawned several days of strikes and demonstrations at the end of 2019-beginning of 2020.

© 2020 AFP