Alexis Delafontaine 8:53 a.m., February 13, 2023

The government refuses to back down despite the scale of the weekend mobilization against the pension reform: 963,000 people demonstrated in France, according to figures from the Ministry of the Interior.

The unions unite and wave the threat of a general strike on March 7th.

Emmanuel Macron remains surprisingly discreet.

For how long ?

Debates on pension reform resume in the National Assembly on Monday morning.

On the side of the government as well as the unions, everyone is sticking to their positions.

On Saturday, 963,000 people demonstrated across France against the pension reform, according to figures from the Ministry of the Interior.

They were 2.5 million according to the CGT.

Parliamentarians have until Friday to examine the text at first reading, with more than 15,000 amendments to discuss... 

Hold positions facing the street

The unions continue to threaten a general strike on March 7, but Emmanuel Macron takes a step back from the situation, confides a majority deputy.

The Head of State prefers to let Elisabeth Borne go to the front, facing the street and the National Assembly.

On Sunday evening, the Prime Minister spoke by telephone with certain unions to try to ease tensions before their big mobilization on March 7. 

>> Find Europe Matin in replay and podcast here

Facing a tumultuous Assembly

Elisabeth Borne must also face a tumultuous Assembly.

"The slightest slippage is paid for in cash", confides a deputy of the majority.

Finally, the major stress for the government is the final vote on the pension reform.

If the latter is adopted by the Assembly, it will calm the street, hopes a macronie executive.

But it is not won because the majority remains very divided with about fifty votes still uncertain, which does not help with the support of the Republicans increasingly unstable.