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

Romain Rouillard 16:04 p.m., March 16, 2023, modified at 16:06 p.m., March 16, 2023

After the announcement of the use of 49.3 to pass the pension reform, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne appeared before MPs to engage the responsibility of the government as is customary. Under a bronca coming from a part of the left that also sang several consecutive Marseillaises while brandishing signs "64 years, it's no!", Elisabeth Borne initially failed to speak because of the hubbub that reigned within the Palais-Bourbon. Yaël Braun-Pivet, the president of the hemicycle has therefore decided to suspend the session briefly before leaving the microphone to the head of government.

#RéformeDesRetraites: @Elisabeth_Borne is greeted with boos from the left and applause from the majority. The Marseillaise sounded in the hemicycle. Left-wing MPs hold up a sign reading "64 years is no". The meeting is suspended.#DirectANpic.twitter.com/6PS0wXFAx5

— LCP (@LCP) March 16, 2023

"We cannot take the risk of seeing 175 hours of parliamentary debate collapse"

In front of elected representatives still as dissipated, Elisabeth Borne notably castigated the attitude of some deputies throughout these debates around the pension reform. "I do not want to go back over the behavior of those who did everything to block the debate. [...] The screams, as I speak, are just further proof of that," she said.

#RéformeDesRetraites: "I don't want to go back over the behaviour of those who did everything to block the debate. [...] The screams, as I speak, are just further proof of this," says @Elisabeth_Borne.#DirectANpic.twitter.com/IADis8I1sI.

— LCP (@LCP) March 16, 2023

The head of government then tried to justify the use of this controversial article of the Constitution to adopt this reform. "Today, on the Parliament's text, uncertainty hangs by a few votes. We cannot take the risk of seeing 175 hours of parliamentary debate collapse. We cannot take the risk of seeing the compromise reached by the two Assemblies set aside. We cannot bet on the future of our pensions, and this reform is necessary," she continued.

"What I remember is the commitment I made to you during the presentation of the draft #RéformeDesRetraites: always seek compromises," says @Elisabeth_Borne.#DirectANpic.twitter.com/KD2zKUW0Qf

— LCP (@LCP) March 16, 2023

The RN will table a motion of censure

And to defend the merits of the project: "These are advances for those who started working early, to revalue women's pensions, or to increase small pensions."

Not enough to calm the opposition's discontent. In the aftermath, Marine Le Pen, the president of the RN group in the Assembly announced her willingness to table a motion of censure against the government while the communist Fabien Roussel called for a referendum of shared initiative on this bill. Elisabeth Borne will speak again this Thursday evening on the set of the 20H of TF1.