A few days before the presentation of the pension reform and a call for demonstrations by yellow vests, the presidential majority must manage an explosive social context. “What worries us are the anger that we would not necessarily have seen coming”, recognizes a ministerial adviser.
Strikes in recent weeks which have added to the government’s concern over pension reform. In a flammable atmosphere, between inflation and rising electricity bills, the presidential majority observes the social weather like milk on fire. With one fear: not seeing the next crisis coming a few days before a demonstration of yellow vests in Paris.
“We feel a lot of tension on the ground and we bring it up. We can give the sums we want to certain corporatist demands, we can see that the anger remains”, recognizes with BFMTV.com the deputy Guillaume Karasbian (Renaissance ) who heads the Economic Affairs Committee in the Assembly.
“A permanent feeling of mistrust”
The diagnosis is shared by the boss of Macronist senators François Patriat who evokes a “permanent feeling of distrust of the French”.
In recent weeks, social tension has risen a notch with the strike of the train managers of the SNCF, organized via a Facebook group, very far from the unions. The strike of general practitioners took place on its side under the aegis of a collective which claims to be apolitical.
Suffice to say that if Elisabeth Borne continues to receive the social partners to convince them of the extension of the retirement age, they seem more and more overwhelmed by these hybrid mobilizations.
“An anger that we would not necessarily have seen coming”
What prevent possible negotiations in the event of a major social movement and worry in high places without really believing in a major return of the Yellow Vests.
“This is not the first call to resume the roundabouts which has not succeeded in recent years. No, what worries us rather, it would rather be an anger that we would not have felt leading to demonstrations” , recognizes a ministerial adviser.
Proof that the government is taking seriously a potential spark that could ignite the situation: its speed in responding to the concerns of bakers, hard hit by rising electricity prices.
Macron calls on his ministers to “stay tuned”
In less than a day, while this profession has planned to meet in Paris on January 23, it has obtained the staggering of taxes and social contributions as well as the termination of his contract free of charge in the event of a “prohibitive” price increase.
“We are not afraid of a social explosion but we have a subject: that of hearing the demands and supporting the French and the professions which could put the key under the door”, wants to convince for her part the deputy and spokesperson for the Renaissance group, Prisca Thévenot.
While only 21% of French people say they are in favor of extending the retirement age according to an Elabe poll for BFMTV, the government wants to temporize. Emmanuel Macron thus asked his government during the first Council of Ministers of the year this Wednesday to “stay tuned to the French”. Enough to appease a country which should face a inflation which lasts?
“Our luck is that there is no global watchword”
“As soon as we propose a reform, we are told of a social explosion, of the return of yellow vests. We must inform of all the aid, and reassure. We will get there”, tries to convince a ministerial adviser.
“We have a chance, underlines a party executive. It is that for the moment, doctors, bakers, controllers have specific requests which only concern their profession. We have no watchword global”, underlines a party executive.
As if to show its serenity, the police headquarters does not show any particular concern as the day of mobilization of yellow vests approaches this Saturday.
