Pan concerts took place at 8 p.m., when President Emmanuel MACRON gave his speech to the people, who were already in the streets, in more than 300 cities.
Paris was treated to the symphony of saucepans under the direction of the national orchestra the people, with the act of solidarity « the saucepans listen to you. »
Emmanuel Macron’s televised speech was greeted by concerts of pans from demonstrators determined to show that they did not want to listen to him, believing that they had not been heard on the pension reform. In Paris, several rallies were scheduled and the demonstrators began shortly before 8 p.m. to make noise by banging on pots or pans.
Concluding his speech, Emmanuel Macron said he was giving himself « one hundred days » to find the path to « appeasement ». “Next July 14 should allow us to make an initial assessment. We have before us a hundred days of peace, unity, ambition and action in the service of France. It is our duty and I trust you, ”he pleaded.
“Is this reform accepted? Obviously, no. Emmanuel Macron says he hears the « anger » of the French, « no one can remain deaf to it ».
The president lists the reasons, according to him, for the anger of the French: « Anger in the face of a job which, for too many French people, no longer allows them to live well, in the face of rising prices, refueling, shopping, canteen (…). Anger because some have the feeling of doing their part, but without being rewarded for their efforts, neither in aid nor in effective public services. »
« No one can remain deaf to this demand for social justice », judges the Head of State. But « the answer can be neither in immobility nor in extremism », he assures.
The president therefore proposes to open « three major projects, starting with that of employment ».
For this first « construction site », the President of the Republic wants to build a « new pact for life at work (…) through social dialogue ». Emmanuel Macron thus assures that his « door will always be open » to the employers’ organizations and trade unions that he « offered to receive tomorrow [Tuesday] morning ».
He promises to open « without any limits, without any taboos » negotiations « on essential subjects: improving the incomes of employees, advancing careers, better sharing wealth, improving working conditions, finding solutions to the wear and tear, increase the employment of seniors and help with retraining ».
This new pact will be « constructed in the weeks and months to come, promised Emmanuel Macron. Through social dialogue (…) but also as close to the ground as trade unions and employers’ organizations will be able to find ».
Emmanuel Macron has further fueled the anger of part of the country. While the boss of the CFDT Laurent Berger castigated this Monday morning a head of state going « to the end of contempt », an Elabe poll for BFMTV gave the figure of 90% of respondents convinced that the presidential address does not would not appease the social situation.
Regarding the perspectives « which are given, it’s a bit of a speech on the method for a tenth time but nothing concrete », criticized Mr. Berger. « The appeasement, it had to be done on the subject which created the social conflagration, the pension reform, he did not say a word about it », he added on BFM-TV.
The secretary general of the CGT, Sophie Binet, denounced a speech which « could have been made by ChatGPT », the artificial intelligence tool. “On which planet does Emmanuel Macron live? “, she asks on the set of LCI.
The President of the Republic “did not hear what the millions of demonstrators and strikers told him and repeated, she added. « To turn the page, you have to offer us concrete things » and « in the projects he lists for us, I see either very concrete things that are deeply divisive », such as the reform of vocational high schools or the RSA, or points « totally obscure and very general » as on wages.
“So, the mirror with larks, it’s good, we’ve already had enough of it. There, the account is clearly not there, ”she added. Then questioned on BFM-TV, Sophie Binet assured that the president « reaches out his hand after having given the arm of honor » to the unions, after the president’s renewed proposal to receive the unions on Tuesday.
Some tensions were also noted in the capital
In the process, several rallies were organized in France. Three unauthorized demonstrations were noted in the streets of Paris, with a total of 2,000 protesters, the prefecture said. The movement degenerated around the Place de la République, with tensions between demonstrators and the police. To the throwing of projectiles, the police and gendarmes responded by using tear gas. Garbage cans were also set on fire.
Adresse aux Français. https://t.co/7XrgDg8zHV
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 17, 2023
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