Social democracy: PM Bayrou’s proclamations are not enough
Weakened by record unpopularity, his inability to assert authority over the centrist bloc and his complex relationship with the president, French Prime Minister François Bayrou downplayed the deadlock in the key pensions negotiations between labor unions and employers’ organizations.
Three days after the breakdown of talks on the future of the pensions system, French Prime Minister François Bayrou tried to revive the process during an unusual press conference on Thursday, June 26, during which he did not hesitate to rewrite history in his own way. According to him, the four-month negotiations between labor unions and employers’ organizations, an effort to overcome the democratic trauma caused by the raising of the retirement age without a vote in Parliament, were “remarkably useful.” Thanks to the goodwill of employers’ organizations and the three unions that agreed to sit through the talks, improvements are on the horizon for mothers’ pensions, as well as for retirees who have not contributed long enough to receive a full pension.
The prime minister downplayed the significance of the deadlocks that emerged over arduous working conditions and how to fund all proposed adjustments. He said he was ready to grant an additional two weeks of discussions to the labor unions and employers’ organizations. But he did not rule out the possibility of putting forward “compromise solutions” himself that could be translated into legislation as part of the social security budget to be debated this fall.
If the goal of this initiative was to reshuffle the deck, its failure is clear. The Socialists, which the centrist Bayrou has been trying to win over since his appointment, submitted a motion of no confidence on Tuesday, on the grounds that the initial promise to review the issue of the retirement age of 64 had been broken. With just two weeks to go before the announcement of tough budgetary choices, this attempt at outreach to the left ended in failure. As for the participants in what Bayrou called a “conclave,” they remain highly circumspect: While not shutting the door on further talks, all are holding back on responding.
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https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2025/06/27/social-democracy-pm-bayrou-s-proclamations-are-not-enough_6742784_23.html
Bayrou has always championed social democracy. It is his only card in this matter. Everythign else is playing against him: his record unpopularity, fueled by a tendency to procrastinate rather than decide; his inability to assert any real authority over the centrist bloc, which shares no common vision regarding the future of the 2023 pension reform; and his complex relationship with the president, who supports him but is also frustrated by the risk of an impasse. The combination of these weaknesses means that, instead of generating momentum around what he believes in – shared responsibility and easing labor tensions – the prime minister appears increasingly desperate, resorting to cunning manneuvers in order to survive politically.
The return of the labor unions and employers’ organizations to the negotiating table is all the more necessary as the loss of a majority in the Assemblée Nationale led to deadlock and a simmering crisis. Bayrou said he was willing to entrust the governance of the public pension fund to the employer representatives and the unions. This would be an effective way to defuse and depoliticize the management of a hot-button issue that, given demographic trends, is far from settled. But trust cannot be mandated. Having been sidelined for eight years, the unions have every reason to be wary. Protected by pro-business policies, the employers’ representatives struggle to understand that they, too, need to do their part. They reject any increase in contributions but are in no hurry to facilitate employment for older workers. The obstacles are not solely political in nature.
(Le Monde)