France: more than 49.3 outside financial texts, hopes Elisabeth Borne

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne at the Élysée Palace on March 22, 2023. AFP - LUDOVIC MARIN

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3 min

As the tenth day of mobilization against the government's pension reform looms on Tuesday, the Prime Minister tried to regain control on Sunday, March 26, in an interview with Agence France-Presse. But Elisabeth Borne remains straight in her boots, concerning the text of all the discords.

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While the situation is explosive on the national territory, the French Prime Minister wishes to receive, in the week of April 3, parliamentary groups and political parties, including those of the opposition, but also representatives of communities, in order to "appease the country".

But while the inter-union is preparing for a new day of mobilization this Tuesday, new demonstrations, new strikes, a slot is also planned, says Elisabeth Borne to AFP, for possible meetings with trade unions and employers' organizations, the following week, that of the 10th.

«

I am at the disposal of the social partners. We have to find the right way: are these bilateral meetings? An inter-union union? We need to bring appeasement. And that we can resume work on all these sites", such as arduousness, professional retraining, etc.

Dialogue with all stakeholders on the method we want to put in place.

►Read also: Retirements: after the divisions, the majority tries to pick up the pieces with Édouard Philippe

On the use of 49.3

Until then, there is no question of backing down on the reform or postponement of the legal retirement age, which is unanimously opposed by workers' organizations. Ms. Borne rejects the request of the general secretary of the CFDT reform union, Laurent Berger, to suspend its application.

In the eyes of the head of government, who specifies that the bill was adopted in Parliament, despite the absence of vote and the use of 49.3, the pension reform will "follow its course", until the Constitutional Council, which will give an opinion, then the President of the Republic "must promulgate the law".

An "objective", on the other hand: Elisabeth Borne no longer wants to use this article 49.3 of the French Constitution, which allows to pass in force a text in the National Assembly, but which has literally and figuratively set fire in the country. It would now like to reserve it for financial texts.

The target I set for the future is no 49.3 outside the financial texts.

►To read: The dissolution of the BRAV-M is "not on the agenda"

Macron at the helm

Despite the absence of an absolute majority to win the confidence of the Bourbon Palace, the French Prime Minister is obviously trying to project herself into the future, in her post. She is charged by Emmanuel Macron to build a government program and a legislative program, for the future.

And to specify that it will "deploy", to do this, an "action plan" over the next three weeks, "which mobilizes all the actors who want to move forward" the France. "We really want to prioritize a few topics to quickly show concrete results to the French," she says.

The head of state will receive this Monday, at the Elysee, Elisabeth Borne, then the executives of his relative majority, namely the leaders of the parties that compose it, ministers and parliamentarians, in order to refine a strategy to try to get out of the crisis. And this, therefore, on the eve of a new appointment in the street.

(

With AFP)

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Read on on the same topics:

• France
• French politics
• Elisabeth Borne
• Emmanuel Macron
• Social issues
• Unions