(Paris) Emmanuel Macron said Friday “at the disposal of the inter-union” to discuss labor issues, but without questioning his pension reform. The head of state does not want a “country at a standstill” and intends to “continue to move forward” despite the social anger that caused the postponement of the state visit of Charles III.
The day after another day of mobilization marked by renewed violence, the boss of the CFDT Laurent Berger called, to “calm things down”, the Head of State to “pause” the project for six months. flagship of its second five-year term.
From Brussels, where he was attending a European Council, Emmanuel Macron did not accede to this request.
“I indicated our availability to move forward on subjects such as professional wear and tear, end of career, retraining, career development, working conditions, remuneration in certain branches”, declared the French president. “And so I am at the disposal of the intersyndicale if they wish to come and meet me to move forward on all these subjects”.
“For the rest and the pension reform, it is before the Constitutional Council and it is obvious that we will await the decision of the Constitutional Council”, within less than a month, he said.
The unions had asked, on March 8, to be received urgently by Emmanuel Macron, who then opposed them. Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne then referred them to the Minister of Labor Olivier Dussopt.
Emmanuel Macron also had to justify himself on the postponement of Charles III’s state visit, scheduled for Sunday to Wednesday.
“Common sense and friendship lead us to propose a postponement.” “We wouldn’t be serious and lack some common sense,” to “offer a visit amid the protests,” he said.
Charles III was notably expected in Bordeaux, the scene of incidents on Thursday, where the porch of the town hall was set on fire.
Political leaders immediately seized on this postponement, starting with opponents of pension reform.
“The meeting of the kings at Versailles dispersed by popular censorship”, rejoiced the leader of La France insoumise Jean-Luc Mélenchon, in reference to the State dinner which was planned at the castle of the kings of France.
Same tone on the right: “What an image for our country to not even be able to ensure the safety of a head of state”, reacted the boss of the Republicans (LR), Éric Ciotti.
This state visit, for which 4,000 police and gendarmes were to be mobilized, raised growing questions, reinforced by the renewed tensions on Thursday.
“Everyone must call for calm,” said the President (Renaissance) of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet.
Entering its third month, the protest in the street gathered Thursday between 1.089 million people (Interior) and 3.5 million (CGT).
The demonstrators expressed their anger at the 49.3 used by the government to push through the reform and the intervention of the President of the Republic on Wednesday.
The unions, reassured by the mobilization figures, were also cheered up by processions where young people clearly came in greater numbers.
High schools were again blocked on Friday morning, like the Condorcet establishment in Paris. The Fidl and Voix lycéenne student unions are calling for a mobilization from Monday until the end of the week.
The violence, which had so far been only sporadic, made a spectacular appearance on Thursday.
Door of the town hall of Bordeaux set on fire, “scenes of chaos” denounced by the mayor of Rennes, water cannons in Lille and Toulouse, demonstrator with a thumb torn off in Rouen, police station targeted in Lorient (Morbihan)… Violence “unacceptable “, judged Elisabeth Borne.
In Paris, violence broke out at the head of the demonstration with their share of smashed windows and destroyed street furniture, and incidents continued late into the evening in the wake of wild processions, contrary to a parade where the great majority of protesters marched peacefully.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin reported Friday 457 arrests, and 441 injured in the ranks of the police.
Mr. Darmanin also reported 11 judicial investigations entrusted to the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN), while many officials or observers evoke a tightening of the maintenance of order.
“We have a deeply political crisis, which calls for a political response and we are providing a police response”, denounced on BFMTV the deputy LFI François Ruffin.
For Marine Le Pen (RN), “Emmanuel Macron can no longer govern alone, he must now come back to the people”.
The energy sector (gas, oil, electricity) remains particularly mobilized but the supply of fuel to the Paris basin by the large TotalEnergies refinery in Gonfreville-L’Orcher in Normandy resumed on Friday after an intervention by the forces of the order
And the anti-basin mobilizations in Deux-Sèvres this weekend promise to be a big challenge for the executive.
