Pension reform: the inter-union and the left want to put pressure on Emmanuel Macron

Alexis Delafontaine 9:12 a.m., February 12, 2023

Nearly a million demonstrators in France this Saturday, according to the Ministry of the Interior, more than 2 and a half million according to the unions, who still hope with this mobilization a withdrawal from the pension reform.

And while the text is examined in the Assembly and defended from the start by the Prime Minister, the inter-union and the left rather want to now put pressure on a man, the President of the Republic.

"The country is blocked by a president and his pride"

"He's the only one who can stop everything," says a socialist deputy, aware that the debates in the Assembly will not make the government back down.

So the left is betting everything on pressure from the street to bring Emmanuel Macron to his senses, as Yannick Jadot argues.

"It's a failure for President Macron. It's a failure of democracy. Basically, the country is blocked today by a president and his pride. He wants to make this reform whatever the cost".

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As since the beginning of the mobilization, the Élysée does not comment on the demonstrations.

A situation that Jean-Luc Mélenchon ironizes.

"If he had the good taste to talk, it would be good because it would improve the level of popular mobilization against him. I think that's why he is silent, because it is prudent of him. He knows the country's state of exasperation with him is complete."

The former rebellious leader welcomes the mobilization but wants the movement to harden in the hope of making Emmanuel Macron bend.