Some of the LR deputies are very far from wanting to give the government a blank check on the pension reform. Eric Ciotti, the president of the party, nevertheless assured Tuesday that the party he chairs will “always meet its responsibilities”.
During the wishes of the Republicans, Eric Ciotti spoke of a pension reform “whose imperative we measure the necessity” and “whose brutality we wanted to mitigate”. Earlier in the day the boss of the LR deputies Olivier Marleix for his part said he was convinced that his group would bring “converging proposals” on the reform.
For the past few days, some LR deputies have been threatening not to vote for a text that they consider unfair for the most modest or those who started working early. “We are at the start of the parliamentary debate, I have always recalled our concern for consistency and our spirit of responsibility”, affirmed Eric Ciotti.
The doubts of Aurélien Pradié
The great figures of the party, from Laurent Wauquiez to Gérard Larcher via Bruno Retailleau, had made the trip to headquarters for these wishes. However, Aurélien Pradié, an unsuccessful candidate for the presidency of LR who became vice-president in the organization chart, was missing due to “an obligation to the Assembly” according to Eric Ciotti.
Shortly before the start of the meeting, the deputy for Lot, at the forefront of the challenge to the text, had tweeted his doubts: “The more the weeks pass, the more the French will measure the massive injustices of the current pension reform”. “Without justice, no reform,” he warned.
“What Aurélien Pradié wears is important in the debate on pensions”, in particular on “long careers”, assured the president of LR, ensuring to exchange “constantly” with him. “We are still working on proposals”, he added, referring to “the situation of women with bumpy careers” and “long careers” where “there are improvements to be obtained”, but also “a great policy of the family”, “the employment of seniors”, “the combination of employment and pensions”.
“We will work calmly,” assured Eric Ciotti, calling for “no doubts about the unity of our groups in the Senate and the National Assembly, and the position, that our family will carry, of responsibility”.