Pension reform: the French doubtful before Emmanuel Macron's speech

Simon Bourtembourg and Alexis Delafontaine 20:02 pm, April 16, 2023

D-1 before the speech of the President of the Republic, three days after the flash promulgation of the law on pension reform. Faced with this, a question arises: what do the French expect from the speech of the head of state? For the occasion, Europe 1 went to take the temperature at 24 hours of the president's speech.

"His speech doesn't matter"

Questioned this Sunday, the French seem divided about Emmanuel Macron's speech. "I think it's very good that it is addressed to citizens because indeed, they expect answers," says a young woman. "After that, what should he answer? I don't know too much about it and even he may not know what to do, "wonders a man at the microphone of Europe 1.

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What will the President of the Republic say? This is precisely the question asked by the French, who no longer expect much now that the reform has been validated by the Constitutional Council and above all promulgated. "His speech doesn't matter too much. There is no point in reassuring people since the law has passed," said a young man. Unlike him, this Frenchwoman would like to be reassured. "I would like him to reassure me. But then, what could he say to reassure me? I don't know because I'm going to work until I'm 64, that's for sure. But could I have a decent standard of living in relation to my professional situation?" she asks.

Emerging from a political and democratic crisis

While the image of the president is severely tarnished in recent months with the social context, Emmanuel Macron expects a big sequence Monday to bounce back and especially get out of a political and democratic crisis. Concretely, what should the head of state expect this week? Monday, at 15 p.m., the president meets his closest ministers at the Élysée. The objective is clear: to find ways out, announcements, reforms, even a reshuffle to get out of the crisis. Indeed, the idea of an alliance with the right resonates more and more in Macronia.

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"40 deputies The Republicans did not vote censure, it is to them that we must turn now," slips a minister of first rank. But Emmanuel Macron still seems reluctant to the idea of appointing an LR to Matignon. Then, the president must emerge from his current, historically low unpopularity. For this, the head of state could organize several field trips to the provinces. His idea: to find the French with central subjects such as health, education or ecology. Everything except pensions.