This very conciliatory tone contrasts with the remarks made by President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday on the sidelines of a trip to China.
He had denied any "democratic crisis in France", reacting to remarks made by Laurent Berger, head of the first union of France, the CFDT. Macron also said he had a clear mandate to reform pensions, and expressed concern about the "violence" that dots the protests.
Ms. Borne, she insisted Friday on being "careful not to rush things", two days after her meeting with the inter-union and a week before the decision of the Constitutional Council on the reform.
In search of the "right timing" to renew the dialogue, Ms. Borne believes that "the unions must not come out humiliated from this sequence" and calls for "respecting a period of convalescence".
"Before looking for allies to vote on the texts, it is important that we say where we want to go," she adds, according to Le Monde. "We must give meaning and breath to the action. I'm not just here to administer the country."
This search for appeasement was endorsed by Mr. Berger who, interviewed on BFMTV, stressed, however, that Ms. Borne's remarks did not detract from the fundamental disagreements on the reform itself.
CFDT General Secretary Laurent Berger (L) and CGT General Secretary Sophie Binet (R) during the meeting of the main unions with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne in Matignon, on April 5, 2023 in Paris © Bertrand GUAY / POOL / AFP
The prime minister's comments are "more respectful than those that came to us from China," he said. "It's something else than adding fuel to the fire."
Mr. Berger, whose relations were particularly tense with Mr. Macron, stressed that "there had never been a problem of respect" with the head of government.
From China, the entourage of the President of the Republic has, for its part, assured that Mr. Macron "coordinates" with Ms. Borne, after having given her at the end of March a "direction" by asking to work with the unions on a "roadmap".
© 2023 AFP