Jacques Serais, edited by Romain Rouillard 20:14 pm, March 16, 2023

This Thursday, at the end of a final meeting with Emmanuel Macron, Elisabeth Borne triggered Article 49.3 of the Constitution to adopt, without a vote, the pension reform. The lack of assurance about the outcome of the election in the event of a vote has therefore pushed the executive towards the scenario it wanted to avoid.

The ultimate weapon of the 49.3 has been drawn. This Thursday, at the end of a last meeting between Emmanuel Macron and Elisabeth Borne, decision was taken to trigger this controversial article of the Constitution, allowing to adopt, without a vote, the pension reform. After a favorable vote of the senators in the morning, the government did not want to take the risk of submitting the bill to a vote in the Assembly.

Uncertainty over Republican support

For the executive, the outcome of the election was too uncertain. Until the end, Emmanuel Macron hesitated, consulted and hoped to see an absolute majority emerge on this text with a comfortable margin of error. That was a sine qua non for bringing the bill to a vote. In other words, the head of state wanted to be sure to get the support of a large number of elected Republicans, which never happened.

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And this despite the crisis meetings that have multiplied at the Elysee since Wednesday evening and the very late decision of Emmanuel Macron, only 15 minutes before the start of the public session at the Assembly. Finally, it is the option of 49.3 that was retained by the executive. In front of the members of his government, hastily meeting in the Council of Ministers, President Macron justified himself by saying that "[his] political interest would have been to go to the vote". He continued: "But I consider that as it stands, the financial and economic risks are too great."

"I assume to be a fuse"

A decision that effectively places Elisabeth Borne on an ejection seat. "I assume to be a fuse," even slipped the interested to Emmanuel Macron. By engaging the responsibility of its government with this 49.3, it exposes itself to a risk of falling in the event that a motion of censure is voted. And even if this scenario never sees the light of day, the image of the Prime Minister is seriously damaged.

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READ ALSO – Pension reform: the heckled speech of Elisabeth Borne, under the boos of the Insoumise

As a reminder, her appointment to Matignon was justified in the ranks of Macronists by her reputation as a politician experienced in consultation and social dialogue. What reinforce the feeling of failure around this 49.3 for Elisabeth Borne, who repeated in recent weeks not wanting to get there. The question now arises of the continuation of Macron's five-year term and how he will be able to extricate himself from this political crisis.