“His previous positions worry us greatly,” added the Secretary General of the union organization.
CGT Secretary General Sophie Binet said on Thursday that the appointment of Michel Barnier, from the Republicans (LR), as Prime Minister demonstrated “a disregard for the voters’ vote”, expressing “a great deal of concern”.
“This nomination demonstrates a disregard for the voters’ vote,” the union leader told AFP. This is “a person from the party that came in last place, whose political survival will depend on the RN since they are the ones who will swing a motion of censure one way or the other,” she said, stressing that “the voters mobilized like never before to beat the RN” in the legislative elections.
“In all other democracies in the world, the party that comes out on top is asked to form a government and find a majority, and it is only if it does not succeed that something else is built,” she noted.
Michel Barnier appointed Prime Minister
“A lot of questions and concerns”
“The previous positions (of Michel Barnier) worry us greatly” in view of the subjects which are on the table, she continued, while the new Prime Minister had notably declared himself in favour of retirement at 65 during his campaign for the primary of the right in 2021.
“Is Michel Barnier ready to break with Emmanuel Macron’s economic and social policy and with his top-down and authoritarian method?” she asked.
“Will he repeal the pension reform? Will he increase salaries?”, what will be his decision on the budget when “the situation is catastrophic”, listed the union leader, admitting “many questions and above all many concerns”.
Asked about a possible call from the union to join Saturday’s demonstration with LFI and several student union organizations against Emmanuel Macron’s “coup de force”, she stressed that the CGT has “already decided” by not joining this call. But she judged that this nomination confirms that the mobilization “is legitimate”.
Other union leaders were expectant. “We’ll see on the facts,” said François Hommeril (CFE-CGC), while Cyril Chabanier (CFTC) noted that Michel Barnier “seemed to be someone who is in dialogue and compromise.”
Laurent Escure (Unsa) observed on X that “anything that would be in a form of continuity, tolerated by the RN, will only increase the crisis”, while for Solidaires the nomination of Michel Barnier “does not respond to social and ecological emergencies”.
