Alexandre Chauveau 08:52, March 19, 2023

After the use of the 49-3 by the government, to pass the pension reform bill last week, Emmanuel Macron's popularity falls to an all-time low. If the executive wants to start a new stage of the five-year term, the French and the unions remain to be convinced.

This is a level not reached since the yellow vest crisis. Emmanuel Macron's popularity fell to only 28% of French people saying they were satisfied in March, eight points less than last December. A result of the monthly barometer of Ifop for the Journal du Dimanche, weighed down by the pension reform and the use of 49-3.

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Continuing to work with unions

So, on the side of the executive, it is urgent to think about a way out of the crisis. Among the tracks considered, the justification of 49-3 with the opinion. Interviewed in the Journal du Dimanche, Labour Minister Olivier Dussopt invokes the too important nature of the reform to take the risk of "playing Russian roulette". The minister does not intend to give up dialogue with the social partners despite the passage in force carried out last Thursday by the executive.

"There are other subjects on which we can make progress," explains Olivier Dussopt, even though there is no shortage of projects awaiting the government, such as immigration, nuclear power and labour.

Speaking out

On all these issues, the government intends to move forward despite a relationship of trust that has been more than damaged with the unions. At the same time, the alliance with the Republicans in the Assembly also seems unstable.

Finally, public opinion is still hostile to the pension reform and even more to the 49-3, weakening Emmanuel Macron. Then, the head of state could speak soon. He had planned to do so after a favorable vote in the Assembly but he will finally be forced to do so to justify the use of 49-3 and try, despite a very tense social climate, to open a new sequence of his five-year term.