France: pension reform is "necessary", says Emmanuel Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a television interview from the Élysée Palace in Paris on March 22, 2023. AFP - LUDOVIC MARIN

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday (March 22nd) that his highly contested pension reform should "come into force by the end of the year" because it is "necessary", during a television interview on TF1 and France 2 in full social anger.

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This reform, it is necessary it does not make me happy, I would have liked not to do it, but that's also why I made the commitment to do it, "said Emmanuel Macron, this Wednesday, March 22, in front of the cameras of TF1 and France 2, wishing an entry into force by the end of the year "so that things come back in place". "There are not 36 solutions," he insisted.

The president said he was ready to "endorse unpopularity" to implement this reform: "Me, I do not seek re-election (...), but between short-term polls and the general interest of the country, I choose the general interest of the country," said Macron, adding that "if it is necessary to endorse unpopularity today, I will endorse it". The head of state regretted that the unions had not presented a "compromise proposal" on the text of the reform, stressing that the government had done so, on the other hand, "with Parliament".

« Neither the factious nor the factions »

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Neither factious nor factional can be accepted " after the adoption by 49.3 of the pension reform, continued Emmanuel Macron, denouncing among demonstrators "groups that use violence". "When the United States of America experienced what it experienced on Capitol Hill, when Brazil experienced what it experienced (...), I tell you very clearly", "we can not accept either the factious or the factions", explained the head of state in reference to insurrectional episodes experienced by the institutions in these two countries. "We will not tolerate any overflow," he then insisted.

Deficit, "the magic formula

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Emmanuel Macron considered that "the project of all the oppositions and all those who oppose" the pension reform, "is the deficit", which he compared to a "magic formula". "What is the deficit?" asked the head of state. "It means, in effect, that you choose to make your children pay because, today, you refuse to decide with clarity and courage," he continued.

Emmanuel Macron assured Elisabeth Borne of his confidence: "She has my confidence to lead this government team," he stressed, adding that he had asked her "to build a legislative program, a government program (...) to have both fewer laws, shorter, clearer texts, to also change things for our compatriots in a more tangible way."

(

With AFP)

Read also: Would France have lost market confidence without pension reform?

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Read on on the same topics:

  • Emmanuel Macron
  • Social issues
  • Employment and Labour
  • Finance
  • Unions
  • French politics