at the National Renaissance Council, the majority welcomes

It was therefore in the middle of the night that Emmanuel Macron promulgated the text of the pension reform, which had just been validated by the Constitutional Council in its almost entirety. The president will speak Monday evening during an address to the French at 8 p.m. And in the meantime, the watchwords of the government are appeasement and discussion on the value of work. Renaissance executives, surrounded by ministers, met this Saturday afternoon at the Paris dojo in the 14th arrondissement, a large judo hall.

President’s after-sales service

After a struggle between Emmanuel Macron and the unions on the promulgation or not of this reform, it is finally an ippon on the part of the head of state. But a framework of the majority responds, “the president has always enacted the laws in stride”. This Saturday, at the dojo, the goal is to do the president’s after-sales service. “We are proud of this law”, says Olivier Dussopt. The Minister of Labor even took the opportunity to thank the deputies of the majority. “The entire majority is present, all, integrally and physically present to vote, to unite and to hold on for days and days. This is what allowed us to hold on. This result is truly a collective victory and work and it is also our ability to show that even in difficulty, we know how to reform. I believe that we must keep this episode as an encouragement”, he rejoices.

A victory for Olivier Dussopt, who nevertheless left a few feathers in this battle for pensions, like the whole of the government which seems more isolated than ever. A complicated situation which has not escaped Gerald Darmanin. “We are fully aware that for parliamentarians, elected officials and activists, the moment is not easy. We are criticized for a lot of things and popularity is not in good shape”, recognizes the Minister of the Interior. Indeed, outside, everywhere in France, the demonstrations are linked and the protest is radicalized with increasingly violent actions. Gérald Darmanin therefore calls for calm. “To sum up what has happened over the past few weeks, in a simple sentence that should normally define our democracy: we can debate it, but we must never fight it out. I think that must be our democratic rule for all of us” , insists the Minister of the Interior.

“It’s Elisabeth Borne who runs the house”

On his side, Elisabeth Borne also participated in the National Council of the Renaissance party. During a speech, the Prime Minister did not show triumphalism. “My dear friends, we are going through a complex period. Today, there is neither winner nor loser”, underlines the head of government before admitting “that there is a difficult reform”. “A reform that requires effort from many of our compatriots, I am aware of that. But a reform that takes into account everyone’s situation. A reform necessary to guarantee the future of our pay-as-you-go system”, insists Elisabeth Borne during the platform of the Renaissance party.

During this National Council, it is an ovation for the Prime Minister. “We can applaud her very loudly. She is the one who runs the house,” proclaims Fadila Khattabi, the president of the National Assembly’s social affairs commission. At the Paris dojo, the majority is looking for new ways to get out of the current crisis. Conclusion, six potential reforms, such as end of life, housing or ecology, are adopted by the Renaissance party, which will propose these measures in the coming months. But the big expectation here is Emmanuel Macron’s speech next Monday evening. “The president will announce the new direction for the country,” says Stéphane Séjourné.

The objective is clear: turn the page on pensions. But the challenge seems immense, as the social and political protest is strong. Finally, Emmanuel Macron will above all have the responsibility of bringing the unions back to the table if he wants to move forward on new subjects. Unthinkable at the moment.