The battles over pension reform continue. The independent parliamentary group Liot has tabled a bill to repeal it, provoking the ire of the majority. This Wednesday, Elisabeth Borne ruled that the approach was “unconstitutional”, after a meeting with the unions in Matignon.
“It is quite irresponsible on the part of a parliamentary group to suggest that we can present a bill which eliminates 18 billion [d’euros] of resources and that this proposed law could prosper,” said the Prime Minister. “There are rules on the bills that can be presented: (…) it is not to increase expenditure and not to reduce revenue”, she argued.
Prevent the examination of the text, “unacceptable” for the CFDT
“It’s somewhere a mirror to the larks. Employees are made to believe that they would have a possibility of an outlet, ”she said. “This proposed repeal is unconstitutional. I think everyone should be aware of this and everyone should take their responsibilities accordingly,” added the head of government. The unions, received Tuesday and Wednesday at Matignon, reiterated their support for Liot’s proposal, which must be examined in the National Assembly on June 8, two days after a 14th day of strikes and demonstrations against the pension reform.
Preventing the examination of Liot’s text “would be unacceptable”, said Tuesday evening the general secretary of the CFDT, Laurent Berger, while Sophie Binet for the CGT judged Wednesday on France Inter that it would be “extremely serious for the deputies to be once again prevented from voting on this reform”.
Article 40 of the Constitution
The groups of the majority (Renaissance, MoDem, Horizons) want to resort to article 40 of the Constitution which makes it possible to raise the financial inadmissibility of the text. It stipulates that the proposals and amendments of parliamentarians are not admissible if they lead to a reduction in revenue or an increase in public charges. The majority thus asks the chairman of the Finance Committee, Éric Coquerel (LFI), to rule on the admissibility of the text.
The general budget rapporteur, Jean-René Cazeneuve (Renaissance), will also be called upon. And “if there is a conflict between them”, a meeting of the office of the Assembly, the highest collegiate body, will decide, advanced the patroness of the Renaissance deputies, Aurore Bergé. President Emmanuel Macron had however shown himself open to debate on the text: on June 8, “for the majority, it will be an opportunity to continue to explain our project”, he said on Sunday. And “everyone will have to take their responsibilities and explain how we finance,” he said.