"The French have not turned the page": MPs attempt to secure a symbolic vote on pension reform

The battle against pension reform continues in the House. Since the forced adoption and promulgation on April 15, 2023, of the law raising the legal retirement age to 64, compared to 62 previously, the question of repeal has been constantly raised in the National Assembly.

This Thursday, June 5, the deputies of the Democratic and Republican Left (GDR) group, which brings together elected representatives from the Communist and overseas territories, are once again bringing the issue to the table during their "parliamentary niche." A day during which they control the agenda of the lower house until midnight.

"Contrary to what some members of the government and the President of the Republic sometimes say, the French have not turned the page on pension reform," Stéphane Peu, head of the GDR group, told BFMTV.com.

For him, this law "was one of the reasons for the vote against the presidential camp during the last legislative elections." He also cites recent polls to support his argument. According to an Ifop study commissioned by the CGT (General Confederation of Trade Unions), published last April, two-thirds of French people want the reform to be repealed.

Furthermore, the communist points out that "the Assembly was never able to vote" on this text, while Élisabeth Borne had used article 49-3 of the Constitution, due to the lack of being able to rely with certainty on a sufficient majority.

Organizing a vote is all the more important in the eyes of the GDR group because it gives little credence to the "conclave" desired by François Bayrou around the social partners. "The hope that could have been placed in the reopening of social negotiations has been dashed by the constraints imposed by the Prime Minister, particularly regarding the age limit," Stéphane Peu continues.

The CGT, which is no longer taking part in these discussions, is on the same line and has called for a general strike this Thursday.

One question remains: beyond these justifications, can opponents of retirement at 64 really hope for victory, when several attempts have already been made, without success, in recent months?

Other groups (Liot, RN, LFI) have indeed suffered setbacks: the texts were not adopted due to their financial admissibility or due to obstruction from the government base. The communist elected officials have a very specific idea in mind and are trying another method.

This is not a proposal for a law, but a proposed resolution. A significant nuance is that this proposal is non-binding. It will not lead to the repeal of the pension reform.

But it has one advantage, highlighted by the GDR group in its text : the proposed resolution "cannot be subject to constraints linked to financial admissibility", nor "be subject to obstruction by way of amendment".

"The adoption of this resolution would signal to the government the commitment of the national representation to respecting the democratic rules enshrined in our Constitution," the elected officials argue. "A government committed to respecting our democracy will not be able to ignore the outcome of this vote," they hope.

While this vote has, on paper, every chance of being favorable, Stéphane Peu wants to believe in its political significance:

"We know how iconic this reform is during Emmanuel Macron's two five-year term. Nevertheless, we are a democracy. As soon as Parliament expresses its desire for repeal, we have the political clout to demand that the Prime Minister take the National Assembly's vote into account," he believes.

If this were not the case, the latter raised the possibility of tabling a motion of censure, which would once again bring the subject of pensions back into the House.