The French President, Emmanuel Macrongave himself 100 days to heal the country on Monday after weeks of protests and anger over his unpopular plans to raise the retirement age, calling on his government to start talks with unions on a wide range of issues.
In a televised speech two days after signing off on plans to raise the retirement age by two years to 64, Macron said he wanted his prime minister to propose measures on working conditions, law and order and education issues and health.
“On July 14, we must be able to take stock,” Macron said, referring to Bastille Day, France’s national day, often a milestone in French politics.
“We have 100 days of appeasement, unity, ambition and action ahead for France,” he said.
Macron has staked his reputation as a reformist on pension changes, which he said were necessary to avoid billions of euros of deficit each year at the end of the decade.
On Monday, he said he regretted the fact that the changes were not supported by the general public.
“Is this reform accepted? Obviously, no. Despite months of talks, no consensus was found, and I regret it. We must draw all the lessons from it,” he said.
Immediately after Macron’s speech, the head of France’s largest union, Laurent Berger of the CFDT, said the president’s speech had been totally empty and had not addressed the anger in the country.
“There is a kind of emptiness, there is nothing there, we expected something else,” he said.
