Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne went on Saturday for a surprise trip to Calvados where she will discuss her highly contested pension reform project with local actors in Vire. This visit takes place a few days before a second day of strikes and demonstrations, Tuesday, against the government’s plan. A first day on January 19 had gathered in the street between 1 and 2 million people.
The pension reform, which provides for a postponement of the retirement age from 62 to 64 and an acceleration of the extension of the contribution period, begins its examination in Parliament on Monday. It is contested by all the trade unions, most of the opposition and a large majority of the public.
A project “bringing social progress for the country”
The head of government first went at the end of the morning, without press, to the wishes of the mayor of the small town of Saint Rémy, Serge Ladan, according to his entourage. The rebellious Noé Gauchard had, in the June legislative elections, obtained in this commune nearly 61% of the votes, against 39% for Borne.
She participated at noon in the wishes of her deputy, Freddy Sertin (Renaissance), in her new office in Vire, AFP noted. Borne was elected MP in the 6th constituency with 52.5% of the vote, against 47.5% for Gauchard. Then in the early afternoon, at the town hall of Vire, the Prime Minister will talk about pensions with local actors and residents, during a meeting organized by Sertin.
Rather discreet since the presentation of this reform on January 10, the Prime Minister has already taken part by surprise, the day before the first day of mobilization, in a public meeting in Nogent-sur-Marne (Val-de-Marne). She had defended a project “carrying social progress for the country”. The government’s communication on this reform has recently experienced some hiccups, in particular when the Minister for Relations with Parliament Franck Riester admitted that women were “a little penalized” by the age measure.