The government will not retreat on pension reform - June 26, 2010
If certain points of the pension reform remain "open to discussion" with the unions, the government will not go back. This was the message from Francois Fillon on Friday at a press conference at Matignon. After the day of action which drew between 797 000 and 2 million people across France, the Prime Minister is out of the reserve to a "front stage".
"Whatever the opposition, whatever their strength, we have a duty to ensure the funding of pensions for French", said François Fillon. According to him, longer working hours, and thus, delaying the age of retirement at age 62, is "the only truly effective parameter to avoid bankruptcy.""No engagement will not solve the demographic problem," still insisted the prime minister, noting that previous pension reforms of 1993 and 2003 had been "challenged" and "are now accepted by everyone."