While the PS is pressing François Bayrou to suspend pension reform, Edouard Philippe estimated that this would place France “in a more critical financial situation”.
“Our financial and budgetary situation is not good,” insisted the former Prime Minister.
A message addressed to François Bayrou on the eve of his general policy speech.
Follow the full coverage
The government of François Bayrou
Faced with the hypothesis of a suspension of the pension reform, demanded by the left on the eve of François Bayrou's general policy speech, Edouard Philippe is in tune with the right. Questioned this Monday during a trip by the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, to his city, the mayor of Le Havre estimated that such a suspension “would inevitably lead to accelerating the financial and budgetary crisis” in the country.
“As unpleasant as it may be for everyone, we must have the courage to tell ourselves the truth”declared the former Prime Minister, as a warning to the government. “The truth is that our financial and budgetary situation is not good. The truth is that a good part of this bad financial and budgetary situation is due to the imbalance in the pension system. The truth is that is that everywhere in Europe, everywhere, whatever the governments, when it was necessary to save pension systems, this resulted in longer work during life. This is a fact in Italy, in. Spain, everywhere in Europe”said Edouard Philippe.
-
Read also
To suspend or not to suspend the pension reform? This is the question for Bayrou before his general policy speech
“Discuss, why not”
According to the mayor of Le Havre, “anything that goes in the direction of the illusion of a step backwards, of a suspension which would not save time, but which would inevitably lead to accelerating the financial crisis and the budgetary crisis” East “a bad idea”.
“I don't say it to express red lines. I say it to express lines that are clear”he added. “Discuss the pension financing system tomorrow? Why not. It never hurts to discuss with all the trade union organizations. But going back, wasting time, placing France in a more critical financial situation, I Seems like a bad idea.”
France