Macron understands the “anger” on the part of the bourgeoisie, but insists the reform is “necessary”

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, this Wednesday strongly defended the pension reform that has mobilized thousands of people across the French state and led to motions of no confidence to his government, stressing that it is a “necessary” law and that when it is applied, expected this year, he is thinking of the “public interest of the country”.

Macron broke the silence this Wednesday since his government forced parliamentary approval of a controversial reform last Friday over two censure motions passed on Monday that received unprecedented support from the opposition in the current legislature.

The text raises the retirement age from 62 to 64 and extends the minimum contribution period. Macron explained this in an interview TF1 and French 2 that he did not undertake these changes for “pleasure”, but to ensure the survival of the pension system: “I wish I hadn’t”.

“I wish I hadn’t done it”

The president, who will wait for the review of the law by the Constitutional Council to promulgate it, has explained that when France entered the labor market, it had barely ten million pensioners and by the 2030s “there will be 20 million “. . .

Macron has defended other economic measures taken since his arrival at the Elysee – raising the minimum wage, for example – and has questioned the role of the political opposition, which he accused of hiding a “magic formula” in its proposals. the shortfall would be and what it would entail to mortgage future generations at the cost of not making changes today.

On the other hand, he has an increased “exceptional contribution” of the extraordinary benefits of the companies, in such a way that the big companies go from “buying back their own shares” thanks to their profits to “paying more to their employees”.

The French president has once again expressed his confidence in the prime minister. Elizabeth Borne. “He has all my confidence to lead this government team and create a legislative program,” he said.

The French President has shown his respect for the trade union demonstrations against his pension reform, but has assured that he will not tolerate street violence and the blockade of activities, and has recalled the attack on the United States Capitol or the Brazilian Parliament.

Opposition and trade unions accuse Macron of lying

For their part, the leaders of the political opposition in France and representatives of the main trade unions have criticized the president’s arguments, accusing him of being “arrogant” and lying about the alleged lack of counterproposals.

For the former presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchonfrom La Francia Insumisa (LFI), Macron has incurred “his usual signs of contempt” towards those who disagree with his measures and confirmed that the plan he is now proposing to prevent big companies from buying back their shares thanks to the Extraordinary Benefits It had already been proposed by his party in February and the president’s aides voted against it, according to BFMTV.

For his part, the First Secretary of the Socialist Party, Oliver Faurebelieves that Macron “does not understand the French” and does not know “the legitimacy of popular speech”, referring to the mobilizations that have taken place since January and which have intensified in recent days.

“He only considers alternative proposals valid if they agree with him,” said the general secretary of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT). Philippe Martinezreports Franceinfo.

A criticism shared with the leader of the French Democratic Labor Confederation (CFDT), Lauren Berger, who claimed his union “has a pension reform project”. In this sense, he has accused Macron on Twitter of trying to “rewrite history” in order to “hide” that he does not have a sufficient majority to pass his “unfair” law.