PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd July, 2020) French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that he would not be abandoning the pension reform, which led to nationwide protests, and stressed his willingness to work on the project's transformation.
The pension reform seeks to replace 42 different pension schemes with a universal, points-based system, threatening to deprive certain categories of retirees of their perks. The decision has triggered mass protests across France. In mid-March, the French president suspended all reforms due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Do I need to toss the pension reform in the trash bin? No. That would be a mistake ... I will ask the government to shortly resume comprehensive consultations in the dialogue with social partners on the topic of financial balances this summer ... We will not give up on the pension reform. I am open to its transformation," Macron said in an interview with the country's regional media outlets.
The French president went on to announce a "new team" in the government, confirming the media debates on the upcoming shifts in the composition of the French cabinet.
"I had to make a choice to create a new path. These are the new goals of independence, perestroika, reconciliation and new methods for their implementation. There will be a new team behind this," Macron noted.
Speaking about Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who was elected as Le Havre mayor in Sunday's municipal elections, Macron said that he has been doing a "wonderful job" for the past three years in line with the changing government.
"We followed through important historical reforms - often in very difficult conditions. He carries out important reforms, and we have established trusting relationships that from a certain point of view are unique on the scale of the Fifth Republic," the French leader said.
The Greens and the populist National Rally political parties were the two big winners in the second round of the French municipal elections held on Sunday, although the results were notable as a record low turnout was registered with the majority of eligible voters refusing to cast their ballot.
