Gabriel Attal suspended controversial unemployment insurance reform, condemned by both far-right and left-wing alliances that largely abandoned the presidential camp on Sunday night in the first round of legislative elections.
Strongly criticized by trade unions, the reform, which was supposed to come into force on December 1, was supposed to be ratified by a decree published in the Official Journal on Monday. But the document published in the Official Journal this Monday morning allows for the current conditions to be extended “until July 31” rather than “June 30”.
In a very difficult situation for the presidential camp, which in the first round of legislative elections was largely left behind the RN, which was clearly in the lead, but at the same time also left-wing, the Prime Minister therefore chose to suspend the project. The reform is not buried, but could “be the subject of adjustments and discussions between republican forces,” according to Gabriel Attal’s entourage, referring to “the future majority of projects and ideas” after the second round of legislative elections.
The decree extends the current conditions for one month.
The reform consisted of reducing, from December 1, the maximum period of compensation from 18 to 15 months for people under 57 years of age. To receive compensation, you would also have to have worked eight months in the last 20 months, compared to six months in the last 24 months currently.
The presidential camp has reiterated its support for this reform in the name of full employment. In mid-June, President Emmanuel Macron called it “indispensable” and declared that the government was “right to take it on in the election campaign,” but assured that he would speak openly about “the means.” Other government voices have called for the topic to be reopened after the legislative elections, given the opposition from various non-Macronist political forces.
The far-right National Rally (RN), like the left-wing New Popular Front (NPF), has promised to cancel the project, which would have tightened the rights of job seekers in several ways. “I’m a little tired of systematically asking for the same effort,” said RN leader Jordan Bardella. The reform is considered “cruel” by the New Popular Front, which wants to “repeal it immediately.”
On the right, Republicans (LR) appear more divided, with some partially supporting the project and others opposing it. Trade unions are fiercely opposed to the reform, which is in addition to the 2021 and 2023 reforms, fearing increased job insecurity, especially among young people and older people.
In mid-June, in a joint press release, eight trade union confederations (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC, Unsa, Solidaires and FSU) called on the government to “abandon the most useless, unfair and unjust reform ever seen.” The CFDT’s general secretary, Marilise Leon, particularly expressed her “anger,” denouncing the “single budget” reform, which would hit “the pockets of the unemployed.”
Source: Le Parisien
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