Arthur de Laborde 2:10 p.m., February 15, 2023

After three days of debate in the National Assembly, the deputies rejected this Tuesday article two of the pension reform project, which provided for the creation of a "senior index" in companies.

A first disappointment for the government which is still trying to put things into perspective.

The government suffered a first major setback in the Assembly on pension reform on Tuesday evening with the rejection of the article establishing an index of seniors, while Elisabeth Borne had just unveiled new concessions to Republicans on long careers.

A dramatic turn from article two: after three days of debate marked by very lively incidents, the Assembly rejected the "senior index" by 256 votes against 203, and 8 abstentions.

38 LR deputies voted against.

A slap for the government, greeted by cheers and songs from the elected officials of Nupes, quickly rebuffed by the president of the Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet.

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"Beat the government" 

In the entourage of the president, some relativize by explaining that they were not surprised despite the agreement concluded between LR and the government.

“The Republicans needed to vote against at least one article to show that they are not in the majority”, explains an adviser.

In his report, the government spokesman, Olivier Véran, mainly attacks the Nupes and the National Rally.

"A circumstantial majority has emerged in the hemicycle to reject article two of the bill which creates a seniors index, which promotes the employment of seniors and which strikes a blow at the inclinations of companies to separate too easily This vote is not understandable, it is more political and it shows that the objective of the oppositions of the Nupes and the National Rally is not to defeat unemployment and injustice, but to defeat the government “, he explained.

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The members of the executive say they are still confident about the continuation of the debate in the Assembly.

"It was symbolic for the Republicans to vote against an article, but the important thing is that they are there on the rest", analyzes an adviser, while explaining that the part on the index seniors , rejected Tuesday evening, will be reintroduced in the Senate in the coming weeks.