The Minister of Economy, Bruno Le Maire, said he was "convinced" Thursday that there will be a majority in Parliament to vote for the highly contested pension reform project, criticized even within the presidential camp.
"I believe that we will have a majority on the pension reform in Parliament," said the government's number two on the LCI channel.
“Republicans, if they are consistent, have always defended pension reform and the postponement of the legal retirement age,” he continued.
In the right-wing opposition, Republicans are divided on the reform, which notably provides for a postponement of the legal retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030. However, their support is necessary for its adoption without recourse to 49.3, a constitutional tool seen as authoritarian allowing it to be approved without a vote.
"I am convinced that the Republicans will vote for this pension reform and that we will have a majority", he added, while acknowledging that "a majority is built, it is never given in advance" .
Even within the majority, Edouard Philippe, president of Horizons, is accused of not supporting the government enough, with some members of his party threatening to vote against or to abstain.
"I expect the majority to unite, it's when it's hard that you have to come together and it's certainly not the time to scatter", reminded Bruno Le Mayor.
"This bloc must extend to all those who are entitled to vote for this pension reform," he said, citing the Republicans.
"It is always better to take the necessary trouble to build a majority. And having a majority in Parliament means having the political legitimacy for this reform to apply and guarantee (...) the pay-as-you-go system".
On the reform project, which will be examined in the National Assembly from February 6 after having been debated in committee, the Minister of the Economy assured that there was "room for discussion in Parliament", stating as only limit "the financial equilibrium in 2030 of the pay-as-you-go pension scheme".
02/02/2023 10:35:16 - Paris (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
