The new “L’Opinion en direct” poll conducted by the Elabe Institute for BFMTV and unveiled on Wednesday confirms the opposition of the vast majority of French people to the executive pension reform project and shows that this opposition is strengthens. The upcoming social movement enjoys wide popularity.
The new “L’Opinion en direct” poll conducted by the Elabe Institute for BFMTV this Wednesday afternoon brings its share of bad news for the executive. Not only is the hostility of a large majority of French people to his pension reform project confirmed, but it is strengthening and broadening. Sign that for the moment the government is dominated in the battle of opinion.
The social movement which is announced and which will know its first milestone this Thursday is for the moment approved. A possible “blocking of the country” to obtain the withdrawal or modifications of the plan drawn up by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne in the wake of the presidential program is considered with benevolence.
BFMTV.com details the lessons of this study which reveals the state of mind of the French on the eve of the social showdown.
Consensus against the reform, with the exception of pensioners
66% of French people thus declare their opposition to the pension reform project. A peloton whose numbers are up sharply in one week: with a jump of seven points. 37% even present themselves as “very opposed” to this set of measures. This trend is predominant in most segments of the population.
Of course, if we still count 34% of supporters of the reform (after a slide of seven points consequently), it is that this one must all the same find its public.
Indeed, 55% of people aged 65 and over, like 53% of retirees, support it. They are, however, the only segment of the population to give their majority satisfied to the executive’s plan. However, this won the approval of 41% of traders and 35% of executives.
The biggest opponents of the project are the intermediate professions (82% of detractors after an increase of 14 points) and workers (with 79% of critics, an increase of eight points). 75% of 35-64 year olds also reject the perspective proposed by the government.
On the political side, while 72% of Emmanuel Macron’s supporters endorse the plans of the Head of State, 88% of those of Jean-Luc Mélenchon and 79% of those of Marine Le Pen are fighting them.
“Unfair”, or “indispensable”: the clash of arguments
Elabe also probed his panel as to the reasons for his positions. Among the reasons most frequently cited to justify their aversion to the project, 45% of opponents maintain that “we should not push back the retirement age” and they are still 44% to emphasize its “unfair” nature. . Beyond the only claimed opponents of the policy of the executive, 64% of French people (up six points) also regret the “injustice” of the measures submitted.
At the heart of this analysis: the idea that it is especially the most modest assets that are asked to provide additional efforts, shared by 55% of our compatriots.
But the supporters of the pension reform also have their arguments. His supporters first put forward a project “essential to restore the finances of the pension system” (“indispensability” mentioned by 68% of them). They also argue that “living longer, it is normal to work longer” – words taken up by 55%, after a gain of six points, of the supporters of the reform.
As a whole, the French describe the government’s orientations in this matter bluntly. 57% of them mock a project “inefficient to ensure the sustainability of the pension system” – again an increase of six points – and 53% do not consider it “necessary”. And they are eight points more to think things like this in a week.
These judgments are widely shared within public opinion, only contradicted by the electorate of the President of the Republic who sees in it both a “necessary” (76%), “effective” (68%) and “just (63%), and retirees. These are however more weighted. Certainly, they are 57% to mention its “necessity” but they are only a relative majority of 45% to qualify it as “effective”. 42% of retirees even admit that it is “unfair”, against 43% holding the opposite view.
Mobilization is popular
In this context, we will not be surprised at the approval that the mobilization against the pension reform project arouses among the French. 56% validate it a priori. More specifically, 39% of the panel say they support the upcoming movement – up five points – and 17% their sympathy – this time down nine points. In addition to 15% of indifferent to the question, 29% of French people disapprove of the mobilization.
This disapproval meets with a particularly deep echo among retirees – who are 50% to disqualify the demonstrations in advance – but remains very much in the minority everywhere else within the population.
Above all, it is within the active categories – with approval climbing to 46% after an eight-point jump – and among the popular categories – 50% approval with an eight-point increase – that the dynamic has been the most spectacular. over the past few days.
This support for the political struggle against the pension reform project is such that 55% of French people “would understand a blocking of the country”, seen as “the only way” for the government to “withdraw or modify it”. This rate even reaches 63% if only active workers are considered. 44% of French people, on the other hand, would not “understand” such a “blockage”.
Sample of 1,000 people representative of residents of mainland France aged 18 and over. The representativeness of the sample was ensured according to the quota method applied to the following variables: sex, age and profession of the interviewee after stratification by region and category of agglomeration. Interview by Internet from January 17 to 18, 2023.
