The government returns before the fire test of pensions

On Wednesday, Emmanuel Macron presides over the first Council of Ministers of 2023, an opportunity to strengthen his troops before the test-fire on pensions, on which the head of state’s second five-year term will partly depend.

As every year, at the beginning of January, members of the government will go to Place Beauvau for a traditional school-going breakfast at the Ministry of the Interior, hosted by Gerald Darmani.

Elizabeth Borne, who is familiar with the meeting since she was the Minister of Transport, Environment or Labor, will close the march at 8:50 am this time as the head of government.

At 10 a.m., the government team will then go to the Elysee Palace opposite to Emmanuel Macron to send their wishes and then attend the Council of Ministers.

In the morning of 2022, break out of the presidential election moratorium. The former president has since been re-elected. But there is greater uncertainty surrounding the war in Ukraine and its many geopolitical, economic and financial consequences.

And the first big mortgage at the beginning of the year, the pension reform to be presented to the French on January 10, then to the Council of Ministers on the 23rd, before the expected stormy examination in the National Assembly and a possible uprising in the country. Street.

The head of state confirmed on December 31 that 2023 will be the year of reforms, called on his countrymen to “unite” in order not to follow the “spirit of division”, and set the stage for his wishes to the French. “such hard times”.

Anne-Charlène Bezzina, public law lecturer at the University of Rouen, predicts that for this after-school meeting, “there will definitely be a desire to show unity, a government that works behind the president.”

– There is no “Totem” –

Nothing ever gets done in this matter. Emmanuel Macron has reshuffled his ministers several times in recent weeks after sequences deemed unsuccessful, such as the crisis at service stations in the fall or communication over the threat of power outages in the winter.

He also did not resist certain personal ambitions, which sometimes became excessive noise when he failed to represent himself in 2027. Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire could thus feel like a target.

Emmanuel Macron may focus on future projects. Important presidential announcements are expected on Friday, which is about to explode in the health care system, especially in pediatrics.

The retirement age, the unions and the opposition argue, is now going to 62 versus 64 or 65.

On Tuesday, Elisabeth Borne tried to lay the groundwork for a compromise one last time, confirming that the government had not made 65 years a “totem”.

If the cursor stops at 64, Emmanuel Macron will have a good time remembering that he raised the possibility in the spring. “It’s not a bad president against a good prime minister,” a member of the majority assures, while others have been able to describe a head of state on a firmer line than Elisabeth Thicke in recent weeks.

From mid-January, everyone’s eyes will be on the social climate. Will the French take to the streets en masse to denounce pension reform? Will the country be paralyzed by the strikes?

“Large-scale crises generally occur not when the population is at its worst, but rather when its morale is somewhat elevated,” says Anne-Charlene Bezzina.

Even if anger and tension “come together,” “a tiny spark ignites a flame,” “unexpectedly,” “there we are more in the trough of the wave, the atmosphere is gloomy, people are a little suffocated. It’s negative news,” he said. This is the bet of the executive power.