(RFI) -Two days after a new day of mobilization of “yellow vests”, French President Emmanuel Macron will address the Nation this Monday, December 10. Before that, he will receive elected officials and social partners at the Elysee.
After leaving Prime Minister Edouard Philippe in front of the anger of the “yellow vests”, Emmanuel Macron is preparing to take things in hand. The president “will address the Nation” this Monday at 20h, said the Elysee, without further details. He had not spoken since December 1, after the G20 summit in Buenos Aires.
In the wake of a new day of mobilization of “yellow vests” that has gathered 136,000 protesters across France, the political class as a whole is asking the head of state a speech capable of meeting the expectations expressed and ending to the demonstrations. “It is necessary that the president speaks, speaks quickly, he has a strong speech,” recommends Alain Juppé. The Mayor of Bordeaux advises Emmanuel Macron to show understanding, empathy and speak in “a language understandable by all French”
“Find the right words”
Jordan Bardella, the spokesman for the National Gathering, believes him that the French are waiting for “a word of compassion” from the president. The centrist Jean-Christophe Lagarde even judges that Emmanuel Macron must be able to “apologize” for having “wounded”, “humiliated”, the French.
At the bottom of the polls and while calls for his resignation are increasing, the President of the Republic will have to find the right tone and the right words. But to calm the anger, he will have to go further. Socialist Olivier Faure calls for a “change of course, something palpable”, not “blah”. Ségolène Royal is in favor of revaluing the SMIC.
Karl Olive, the mayor The Republicans of Poissy, received by Emmanuel Macron with a dozen mayors of Yvelines Friday night, confirms having him back during a discussion without concessions criticism including the tax hype of those who work and said wait now “acts in front of words”.
No increase in the SMIC
According to Labor Minister Muriel Pénicaud, these will be “concrete measures” and “immediate” to respond to the crisis. No details of these measures have yet filtered. We only know that it should not be an increase to the Smic, beyond the 1.8% increase expected in January. “The boost at Smic we know that it destroys jobs, so that’s not the right way,” said Muriel Pénicaud on the set of LCI.
To calm the anger of the “yellow vests”, the government announced this week the maintenance of gas and electricity tariffs during the winter and the cancellation of the increase in fuel prices for the year 2019. But these announcements did not prevent another day of mobilization again enamelled with violence. Because the claims of the protesters go well beyond the price of fuel; it is the entire social and fiscal policy of the government that they challenge.
Elected and social partners at the Elysée
Before this long-awaited speech, Emmanuel Macron will receive at the Elysee at 10:00 the five representative unions (CGT, CFDT, FO, CFE-CGE and CFTC), three employers’ organizations (Medef, CPME and U2P), as well as the presidents of the associations. elected representatives, the Senate, the National Assembly and the Economic, Social and Environmental Council.
“The President of the Republic wished to bring together all political forces, territorial, economic and social in this moment of seriousness that crosses the Nation, to hear their voices, their proposals and with the aim of mobilizing them to act”, explained the Elysee. Accused of being isolated in the ivory tower of the presidential palace, being disconnected from realities on the ground, Emmanuel Macron changes his method and associates with his reflection these famous intermediary bodies that he has been accused of having neglected, even removed, since his accession to the head of state.
In the entourage of the president, it is explained that this meeting was decided before the Saturday demonstrations. And that it follows many consultations of politicians, associations, intellectuals. No communication was carried out around these meetings. Only the one with a dozen elected Yvelines has leaked. One of the participants who mentioned it mentioned a “box of baffles” for the head of state.
Note: GNN Liberia Translation from French to English
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