Prime Minister’s Word: There will be no pause in reforms. After the green light from the Constitutional Council and the promulgation of the law on pensions, Elisabeth Borne assured Saturday that she wanted to “continue the work”. “In the weeks and months to come, around the President of the Republic, we are determined to accelerate”, she launched at the podium of the National Council of Renaissance, meeting at the Paris Dojo two days before the intervention. Emmanuel Macron’s TV show.
Anxious to relaunch the five-year term after three months of dispute, the head of government affirmed to exclude any immobility. Faced with “nostalgic for old divisions”, “we will never be the camp of renunciation, she underlined in front of several ministers and some 200 to 300 executives of the presidential party. Renunciation would be to stop the reforms, when our fellow citizens are waiting for answers and actions.
The “France of full employment”, “equal opportunities”, the “republican order” or even the ecological transition are set up as priorities for the executive. A little earlier, during the National Renaissance Council, party officials also tried to outline broad guidelines. Green industry, “work value”, housing, “emancipation of individuals”, end of life: five “thematic resolutions” have been widely adopted to serve as a roadmap.
All in her desire to “appease” at the same time as “accelerate”, Élisabeth Borne took advantage of her speech to launch several opening signals. First in the direction of the unions, who did not appreciate the lightning promulgation of the law and refused to go next Tuesday to the meeting proposed at the Élysée.
The pension reform was “difficult” and “necessary”, but “there is no winner or loser”, insisted the tenant of Matignon. “The time for social progress is not over,” she continued, eager to “build a social agenda in the months to come” with trade unions and employers’ organizations, “as soon as they are ready for it”. A priori not before the “tidal wave” of demonstrators announced by the unions for May 1st. Once this date has passed, “it will be necessary to re-embark [the boss of the CFDT] Laurent Berger around a large project on work”, said a Renaissance leader aside.
The Prime Minister also sent winks to local elected officials, aiming to “go even further for local differentiation” and to “trust communities”. A way to take care of its relations with the Senate and its president, Gérard Larcher, crucial partners in getting bills adopted. According to her, “if the time is not for coalitions, majorities are possible, project by project”. She hammers it: “We are determined to find solutions”.
By “we” does she mean “I”? Tested by a long social and political crisis, to the point that the hypothesis of a new government is gaining momentum in the ranks of power, Elisabeth Borne hopes to remain in Matignon. As if to comfort her, the boss of Renaissance, Stéphane Séjourné, wanted to gratify her with his encouragement, before welcoming her on stage: “You can count on our support”.