Pension reform: Emmanuel Macron gives his instructions before leaving for Africa

Alexandre Chauveau, edited by Laura Laplaud 2:58 p.m., March 01, 2023

On Tuesday, the senators completed the committee's examination of the highly controversial pension reform project.

Several amendments were retained, in particular in favor of mothers and the employment of seniors.

In the presidential camp, Emmanuel Macron gave his instructions to the Council of Ministers this Wednesday morning, before his departure for Africa.

The president flew to Gabon during the day, on the eve of the first debates on pensions in the Senate.

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The executive wants to display his unity

The departure of the Head of State is scheduled just after his weekly lunch with the Prime Minister.

The opportunity to discuss the upcoming debates in the Senate and Olivier Dussopt's mess on the pension at 1,200 euros, initially announced for all retirees.

The Minister of Labor then advanced the figure of 40,000 beneficiaries, before admitting on Tuesday that only 10 to 20,000 retirees would ultimately receive this amount.

A backpedal which greatly annoys the government, in the forefront of which Élisabeth Borne.

Despite everything, the executive seeks to display its unity.

Édouard Philippe, François Bayrou and Stéphane Séjourné have thus planned to hold a joint executive office at the headquarters of the Modem next Wednesday.

The aim is to put an end to a series of frictions within the majority in recent weeks.

First there were the rebels against pension reform at Renaissance or Horizon, but also and above all Renaissance's opposition to a bill by Naïma Moutchou, close to Édouard Philippe, aimed at introducing minimum penalties .

While opponents of pension reform will be united on March 7, the executive must therefore also face up in its own way.