The French president said he “will not deviate from the planned course”. Its priorities are “full employment and reindustrialisation”. He called for a renewed dialogue on working conditions. At the same time, Macron noted that he was “not enthusiastic about reform”, but that it was necessary to strike a “balance”. He regrets “that no union force has proposed a compromise”. The president assured that Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne still enjoys his confidence.
In the coming days, according to the French leader, the law on immigration and several other initiatives will be considered.
Macron said the TV interview would help “calm things down” amid growing anger in France over the president’s plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. Political leaders in Macron’s camp have said this is not a government reshuffle or a snap election, but rather an attempt to regain the initiative through measures to more actively involve citizens and unions in the decision-making process.
Demonstrations against the pension reform continued on Wednesday morning. Oil depots are blocked in the Var and Gironde. The port of Marseille is blocked as part of the day of the “dead ports” and the A55 motorway, one of the main entrances to Marseille, is closed in one direction
