Pensions: how the majority takes the shock in the Assembly – France

In the middle of the day, this Tuesday, of mobilization against the pension reform, the Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, faced the deputies in the traditional session of questions to the government in a more peaceful atmosphere than the day before. “Yes, we are asking the French to make an effort, but we are doing it because it is the only way to preserve the future of our pensions,” said the head of government from the outset.

Even if the Minister of Labour, Olivier Dussopt, suspected of favoritism by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office in the awarding of a public contract in 2009, did not have to take the slogans of the elected officials of the New Popular Ecological and Social Union (Nupes), he was the target of provocative questions from Aurélien Saintoul, LFI deputy for Hauts-de-Seine. “Who can believe that Mr. Dussopt acts for the general interest”, questions the elected official. The Prime Minister replies in stride: “You are not a prosecutor. We are not in a court”.

Olivier Dussopt trapped by a socialist deputy

The other trap in the Hemicycle against the Minister of Labor was set by Inaki Echaniz, PS deputy for Pyrénées-Atlantiques. He used the same terms as those used by Olivier Dussopt to question Éric Woerth, in 2010, on the occasion of the pension reform desired by the Fillon government. The minister did not spot the trick, assuring, his eyes vague, that the text presented this week to the National Assembly “is not the same as before the consultation” carried out “for four months » with the social partners.

Will article 7 on 64 years be debated?

After the very lively discussions the day before, the points of order, the rejection of two procedural motions from La France insoumise and the National Rally, threats to deputies or damage to the Palais Bourbon, the question was on everyone’s lips. deputies, Tuesday: will the Assembly be able to debate article 7, which contains the postponement of the legal age from 62 to 64? “The tension on Monday went down several notches and very fortunately because leading such an important debate on that of pensions in nine days is impossible to lead. To get as far as the examination of article 7, parliamentarians will have to be constructive, ”says Paul Molac, deputy (Freedoms and territories) for the district of Ploërmel (56).

For his part, Didier Le Gac, Renaissance deputy for the 3rd constituency of Finistère, is particularly confident: “There are many amendments presented by the government on long careers, volunteer firefighters, hardship too. I hope that we will be able to debate until Article 7. If this is not the case, it will not be our fault. And I don’t see too much interest, and I hope not, at a 49.3 at first reading, the text can pass in the Senate without a vote, ”he slips.

In the meantime, the introductory article comprising the general spirit of the text was narrowly retained by the deputies after two days of examination. Out of 509 voters, 247 deputies voted for and 257 against. The introductory article is therefore retained, but only just.