Emmanuel Macron said this Thursday, January 19, to hope that the demonstrations against the reform will take place “without excesses, violence or damage”and assured of “the spirit of dialogue” and some ” determination “ of the executive to bring about a reform “fair and responsible”.
“We are hotter than tear gas”: relive December 5 in the processions with our reporters
“It is good and legitimate that all opinions can be expressed”replied the French president, questioned by the press in Barcelona as part of a Franco-Spanish summit.
“I trust the organizers of these demonstrations so that this legitimate expression of disagreement can be done without creating too much inconvenience for all of our compatriots but obviously without excesses, violence or degradation”.
The unions kicked off the protest on Thursday to roll back the government on its flagship pension reform, already welcoming a mobilization “successful” with hundreds of thousands of demonstrators, strikes at school or in transport.
“A democratically presented and validated reform”
Emmanuel Macron defended a reform “democratically presented, validated” and “above all fair and responsible”.
“Things have to be said when democratic choices are made. And in the presidential election which was held only a few months ago, and in the legislative elections which were held including a few months ago, things were said clearly”.
Pensions: “When the reform was announced, I felt injustice and contempt for the workers”
“They were then negotiated in a time that we left with the union and employer forces. We are now returning to the plan of the government’s proposal. It will give rise to parliamentary democratic work which will allow all the political forces in the Assembly and the Senate to express themselves, to enrich the project and to be able to complete a reform which is a reform which has therefore been democratically presented, validated”continued Emmanuel Macron.
“If you want the pact between the generations to be fair, this reform must be carried out. And so we will do it with respect, a spirit of dialogue but determination and a spirit of responsibility.”concluded the Head of State.
