Immediately after the television interview with Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday 22 March, during which he justified his choices in the face of the controversial pension reform, criticism came from all sides of the opposition.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon denounced the "traditional marks of contempt" of the head of state. "The crowd is to the people what the cry is to the voice," said the leader of the Insoumise in reference to a statement of the president on the "crowd" that would have "no legitimacy in front of the people who express themselves through their elected representatives".

"He lives outside of any reality," added the former presidential candidate in a press conference in Toulouse, mocking the "arrogance" of talking about hardship "even though he has just removed criteria of arduousness".

"We have once again heard the comedy of people who would do nothing" unemployed, "once again the threats against people who unfortunately live in the RSA," he lamented.

"The president is not here to throw barrels on the fire. It's never his fault. Are the unions against it? That's because they didn't want to talk. Are the French against it? Is it because they didn't understand the presidential genius? The oppositions are against? They are unable to make proposals. We must stop with this," said Manuel Bompard, coordinator of the France insubordinate to the National Assembly.

#Macron has therefore chosen to force through rather than listen to the vast majority of French people and all the unions. The showdown will therefore take place in the streets and in the strike.

Let's flood the streets of France by the millions tomorrow!

— Manuel Bompard (@mbompard) March 22, 2023

"Emmanuel Macron is a cheater and a liar. They used the 47-1 specifically to be able to use the 49.3. They had it in mind from the beginning. They cheated everyone," said Raquel Garrido, a rebellious MP.

Emmanuel Macron is a cheater and a liar. They used the 47-1 specifically to be able to use the 49.3. They had it in mind from the beginning. They cheated everyone.

See you tomorrow on the streets of the whole country. #Macron13h pic.twitter.com/LGueyaHiLK

— Raquel Garrido (@RaquelGarridoFr) March 22, 2023

"No more explosives on a blaze already well lit"

For his part, the socialist Olivier Faure regretted that Emmanuel Macron had "put more explosive on a blaze already well lit". "It's mind-blowing, he's in absolute denial," he added from the National Assembly.

Marine Tondelier said for her part on Twitter "iced by the demonstration of self-satisfaction of the president" who, in her eyes, made "offensive remarks".

The national secretary of the PCF Fabien Roussel saw in the intervention of the president "nothing able to appease the legitimate anger that is expressed against retirement at 64 years". "We call for change, respect for the world of work and social democracy," the communist added. "We, left-wing forces and ecologists, are ready to govern."

"How can we ignore the French so much?"

On the right, too, reactions quickly multiplied. Bruno Retailleau, head of the senators Les Républicains said Macron was admitting a "political impotence". "By bypassing the Parliament of which he is afraid because he is a minority, the President of the Republic admits his political impotence," he wrote on Twitter.

"Emmanuel Macron does not understand. He does not understand the immense fractures of the Nation. He does not understand that his complacency is yet another provocation. To change nothing, to wait, to tinker, is to play with fire. How to ignore the French to this extent?" lashed out at the LR Aurélien Pradié.

The president of the Republicans Eric Ciotti said that the solutions proposed by Emmanuel Macron during his televised intervention on Wednesday were "not up to the political and economic crisis we are experiencing".

"The only real announcement of this speech is that the fight against mass immigration is no longer a priority for the government" and "it is a mistake," said in a statement the deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes, deploring that the head of state has "not been able to convince the French" of the need for a pension reform.

The only real announcement of this speech is that the fight against mass immigration is no longer a priority for the government.

This is a mistake.

The bill is buried when the situation has never been so serious.

— Eric Ciotti (@ECiotti) March 22, 2023

Marine Le Pen, meanwhile, said Wednesday that President Emmanuel Macron, "a man more and more alone", had "reinforced the contempt" of the French. The boss of the RN deputies in the National Assembly reproached the president for having granted this interview at 13 p.m. and thus having "symbolically defied the France who works (and) thus reinforcing the feeling of contempt". "He says he respects, but he insults. All the French, all the time," she added, accusing the president of "anti-parliamentarianism".

'Denial and lying'

The presidential meeting also immediately jumped the trade unions, which are preparing a 9th day of strikes and mobilizations on Thursday.

"and contempt for the millions of people who demonstrate," said CGT boss Philippe Martinez.

"Denial and lies", fulminated Laurent Berger, while Emmanuel Macron had just affirmed that the boss of the CFDT had proposed to "increase the durations" of work at the last congress of the Belleville plant.

Emmanuel Macron said that the reform pushing the retirement age to 64 years must be applied "before the end of the year", on TF1 and France 2, accepting "to endorse unpopularity" and camping on his line of firmness in the face of excesses in the street.

With AFP

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