Constitutional Council Decision: Opponents and Unions Still Against Pension Reform

The decision was followed and the reaction was not long in coming. As announced, the Constitutional Council gave its opinion on pension reform at 6:00 pm, approving much of the text, including a flagship measure to lower the retirement age to 64. Shortly thereafter, Intersyndicale issued a press release titled “retirees: it’s not over yet”in which she took note of this decision and therefore addressed the President by calling him “solemnly” do not distribute the text.

“The Intertrade Union takes note of these decisions. Therefore, today the President of the Republic must assume his duties. Faced with massive opposition to this reform, the union solemnly asks it not to promulgate the law, the only way to calm the anger that is being expressed in the country.”consider eight major French unions and five organizations in this text.

“Mr. President of the Republic, don’t promulgate this law this weekend.”, – insisted CFDT General Secretary Laurent Berger at 20:00 on TF1. Earlier in the evening, from a rally announced in front of the Hôtel de ville in Paris, CGT General Secretary Sophie Binet called for “popular and historical tidal wave” May 1st. “You can’t govern a country against its people”she launched.

Ahead of the Constitutional Council’s decision, the Élysée reported that the president had proposed that unions meet on Tuesday, April 18, in an attempt to restart dialogue. It remained a dead letter. “We will not go, we will not enter the political agenda. The life of the people, the life of the workers who will have to work longer, is not a sequence.”said Laurent Berger on behalf of the union.

While the law could be passed by the end of the weekend, the left said it would, for its part, continue to fight and continue to support the union in its opposition to pension reform. For Nupes, Mathilde Pano, head of the LFI group in the National Assembly, as well as, among others, General Secretary of the Socialist Party Olivier Faure and Europa Ecology-Les Verts MP Sandrine Rousseau spoke from Parliament.

“We will continue to support all mobilizations (…) We will stand next to the inter-union to say that we continue to fight more than ever”she launched. Rebel France leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon also confirmed on Twitter that “the struggle continues and must gather strength”believing that the decision of the Constitutional Council “shows that he is more attentive to the needs of a presidential monarchy than to the needs of a sovereign people.”

“The Constitutional Council only judged according to the law. This does not mean that this law is fair and that they will still fight against it. ”for his part, said Olivier Faure, who added that the left would introduce a bill to repeal Article 7, which provides for the postponement of the retirement age.

The same spirit for the EELV National Secretary, Marine Tondelier, who judged that “This reform, although legal, remains deeply illegitimate. Only the president has the power to get us out of it. Because the social and political mobilization will not stop.”. “I appeal to the people: May 1, everyone on the street”phoned again Fabien Roussel, PCF national secretary, judging by the LCI that “This reform is becoming the worst reform” with the condemnation of six provisions by the Constitutional Council.

Far right, National Rally group leader Marine Le Pen calculated that “if the decision of the Constitutional Council closes the institutional sequence, the political fate of the pension reform is not decided.” Therefore, the elected Pas de Calais said that now the people should decide. “The last word is always with the people, and it is up to them to prepare a series that will return to this useless and unjust reform.”she pointed out.

Among the Republicans, some of whom voted for the reform project in parliament along with the presidential majority, we welcomed the approval of the text and warned Emmanuel Macron. “The Constitutional Council has made a decision. All political forces must accept it and be in a proper relationship with our institutions.”emphasized LR head Eric Ciotti in a press release, calling for “to respond to the fears of our compatriots, to the legitimate anger they feel in the face of the injustice of the assistant, and to anticipate the challenge of the technological revolutions to come.”

“The Constitutional Council gave its constitutional answer. It is mandatory for everyone. The political and democratic crisis persists. One has to be blind or irresponsible to ignore reality. Wounds are gaping in the country.said Lot’s deputy from LR Aurelien Pradier, who opposed the reform despite the position of his group.