A dramatic change in the Senate: the government asked, on Friday March 10, for a single vote on all of its pension reform to give a boost to the debates, while Emmanuel Macron confirmed this firmness by not accepting to meet the unions.

To counter the "methodical opposition" of the left, the Minister of Labor Olivier Dussopt on Friday drew the constitutional weapon of the single vote before the Senate, which will have to decide in one go on the whole bill.

"Strike of Strength"

“Admission of weakness”, “coup de force”: the left immediately rose up against this recourse.

And intends to reply with its remaining ammunition, namely the thousand amendments that remained under discussion.

If these cannot be debated or voted on, they can however still be simply presented by their authors.

A way to save time and give hope to the left that the text "is not put to the vote" before the deadline scheduled for Sunday at midnight.

“Governing brutally to impose a reform that the French do not want: that is their only objective!” Denounced on Twitter the leader of the deputies of the National Rally, Marine Le Pen.

For his part, Emmanuel Macron did not offer an appointment to the unions, in a letter in response to their letter which asked him to receive them in "emergency".

He explained that he wanted to "preserve parliamentary time" even if the government "is listening to them".

"I do not underestimate the dissatisfaction of which you are speaking as the anxieties expressed by many French people worried about never having a pension", added the Head of State, on the eve of a new day of demonstrations.

The executive had already rejected their request during the week, Elisabeth Borne referring the inter-union to his Minister of Labor, Olivier Dussopt.

Cornelian choice for Elisabeth Borne

But, in Parliament as in the government, all eyes are already on next week, probably decisive for the future of this flagship reform of Emmanuel Macron's second term, which provides for the postponement from 62 to 64 of the age of going to retire.

A group of senators and deputies must first meet on Wednesday in a joint joint committee (CMP) to build a draft compromise between the two Chambers, which will then have to vote separately the next day on this text.

The approval of the Assembly, where the government has only a relative majority and where the right is divided, seems increasingly uncertain.

Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne "will have a tough choice: it's Russian roulette" of a vote in the Assembly or "big Bertha" with article 49.3 of the Constitution which allows the adoption of a text without a vote but carries the risk of government censorship, warned Bruno Retailleau, the leader of the senators Les Républicains.

A positive vote is possible but "it will be ric-rac" in the Assembly, admits a minister.

If "the objective is not to use 49.3", there remains a tool available, underlines the entourage of Emmanuel Macron, who "does not want the country to be blocked".

"Having a Prime Minister who does not want 49.3 and a president who would be more upbeat is a duality which is completely part of the game", according to a parliamentary source within the majority, and makes it possible to show that the government is ready for anything.

For the leader of the CGT Philippe Martinez, recourse to this tool would be "very serious, including for democracy", and would justify the continuation of the movement.

"Escalation of Anger"

On the side of the unions, "we sound the alarm. When millions of people are in the street (...), when there are strikes and there is nothing opposite, silence, the people say to themselves: 'What more do we need to do to be heard'", affirmed Philippe Martinez.

They hope to succeed in another day of mobilization on Saturday to demand the withdrawal of the text.

The blocked vote could lead to an "escalation of anger", warned the CGT Energy federation, indicating that the strikes continued, in particular in the electricity production plants.

The CGT also mentioned new voluntary cuts, particularly in industrial areas near Chambéry, and gas strikes in all LNG terminals and gas storage facilities.

On the fuel side, shipments partially resumed on Friday at the Esso-ExxonMobil refinery in Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches-du-Rhône), according to the group, but the CGT denounced a "manipulation" of management and announced a "hardening " movement in the afternoon.

On the transport side, the SNCF expected traffic that was still "highly disrupted" on Friday and on weekends.

"Being heard by going on strike is perfectly legitimate. But claiming to want to bring France to a standstill, or even worse, on its knees, is obviously inadmissible", denounced the CPME, which represents small businesses.

With AFP

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