Macron reaches out to the inter-union: "He treated it with contempt," replies the boss of the CFE-CGT

Barthélémy Philippe, edited by Romain Rouillard 22:29 p.m., March 24, 2023

"The country cannot be at a standstill," Emmanuel Macron said Friday from Brussels where he was attending a European summit. In a particularly tense social context since the adoption last Thursday of the pension reform, the head of state has therefore reached out to the unions. "I am at the disposal of the inter-union if it wishes to come and meet me to move forward on all these subjects." As a reminder, the latter had been rejected when they asked to meet the president, in the wake of the sixth day of mobilization on March 7.

A "political object imposed with force and constitutional violence"

"He didn't receive us when we had to do it when we handed him a pole. He treated it with contempt and disdain," denounced François Hommeril, the president of the CFE-CGC, a union representing executives. According to him, this proposal formulated by President Macron reflects the difficulties that the executive is currently experiencing. "I think he's a bit rushed and yesterday's demonstration was particularly impressive. So I think there are some in his entourage who are starting to panic and who say to him 'well, we should try to regain control'," he said.

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For François Hommeril, it is out of the question to "hear for the umpteenth time his explanations as a professor as soon as we have demonstrated that reason and truth were on our side". "All the experts who have spoken on the subject have dismantled this reform," he continues. According to him, this law is now akin to a "political object imposed with force and constitutional violence by Emmanuel Macron and his government to the entire population".