In Aix-en-Provence the government defends its reforms and its "tenacity"

The government, half-masted in the polls and criticized for its lack of social "justice", defended on Saturday its reforms and its "tenacity", two days before the speech of Emmanuel Macron before the Congress at Versailles. 19659002] Visiting the Aix-en-Provence economic meeting, a now traditional event that brings together political decision-makers, intellectuals and business leaders, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and his Minister of Labor Muriel Pénicaud have justified their action in turn.

A way to pave the way for the head of state, who summoned parliamentarians to Congress for the second time in his term, in order to chart his economic and social course.

"In this world that is marked at its beginning by anger, which pays in fine, which ensures and the glory and the success, it is the tenacity ", launched Edouard Philippe.

" the world which is coming is a dangerous world not only on the mode of the questioning of multilateralism and economic wars, "he said. "It is also a dangerous world, and in a dangerous world, it is better to be stable on its supports and prepared."

Bills "structuring for the future"

In this context, the head of the government has deemed it necessary to "look lucidly at the situation of the country as it is", described as "not cheering."

France "is a country in which for a long time, it there has been a form of relinquishment to make sometimes difficult decisions to make, sometimes difficult to explain ", continued the Prime Minister, affirming to want to make France the country" the most competitive and the most attractive "of Europe. 19659002] Believing that she had brought two "structuring for the future" bills – on labor law and skills – Muriel Pénicaud badured her that the government's reform agenda was "not over".

"There are already two major reforms that are basically a beginning of flexicurity to the French, "she told reporters, saying that it was" a driver of competitiveness and the fight against unemployment. "

But if" in 15 months we have already done a lot (…), we still have more to do, "she added.

" Getting out of accounting logic "

The meeting between Emmanuel Macron and the union and employer leaders, scheduled for July 17 , must thus make it possible to have "at the start of the school year" of a "consistent social agenda and quality", according to the minister who did not specify which subjects the executive plan to include in this new agenda.

These statements intervene while several members of the presidential majority have expressed in recent days their dissatisfaction with government policy, considered too imbalanced.

MP LREM Frederic Barbier estimated in Le Monde of Saturday that depui One year ago, "the balance" had "not yet been found", despite "some social progress".

"The question is not to amputate social minima or unemployment benefits, but to guarantee the necessary national solidarity, "he insisted, calling on the executive to" get out of accounting and budgetary logics. "

Call for a" social rebalancing "

In a note delivered at the beginning of June to the Elysee, three economists close to Emmanuel Macron, Philippe Aghion, Philippe Martin and Jean Pisani-Ferry, also sounded the alarm, calling the executive to a social rebalancing.

Warnings that echo in public opinion surveys: according to an Odoxa poll for Le Figaro and franceinfo published Thursday, barely a third of French people consider the policy of the executive "fair" (29%) or "effective" (34%) . Another Elabe poll, also published on Thursday, shows that Mr Macron and Mr Philippe show a clear drop in popularity in June, by six points in one month.