Gabriel Attal put on hold the controversial reform of unemployment insurance, denounced by both the far right and the left alliance, which largely left the presidential camp on Sunday evening in the first round of the legislative elections.
Highly criticized by the unions, this reform, scheduled to come into force on December 1, was to be ratified by a decree published in the Official Journal on Monday. But the one that appeared in the Official Journal this Monday morning allows the conditions in force to be extended “until July 31”, no longer until “June 30”.
In a very difficult context for the presidential camp, largely distanced in the first round of the legislative elections by the RN, clearly in the lead, but also the left, the Prime Minister therefore preferred to suspend the project. The reform is not buried but could “be the subject of adjustments, discussions between republican forces”, according to Gabriel Attal’s entourage, referring to “future majorities of projects and ideas” after the 2nd round of the legislative elections.
The decree extends the conditions in force by one month.
The reform was to reduce the maximum duration of compensation from 18 to 15 months for people under 57 from December 1. It would also have been necessary to have worked eight months out of the last 20 months to be compensated, compared to six months out of the last 24 months currently.
The presidential camp had repeated its support for this reform in the name of full employment. In mid-June, President Emmanuel Macron described it as “indispensable” and judged that the government was “right to take it on in the campaign”, but assured to be open about the “modalities”. Other government voices pleaded for a reopening of the subject after the legislative elections, in view of the opposition of the various non-Macronist political forces.
The National Rally (RN), on the far right, like the left, united in the New Popular Front (NFP), had promised to repeal this project, which was supposed to toughen the rights of job seekers in several ways. “I’m a little tired of being systematically asked to make efforts from the same people,” said RN leader Jordan Bardella. On the New Popular Front side, where we hear “repeal it immediately,” the reform is seen as “cruel.”
On the right, the Republicans (LR) appear more divided, with some partially supporting the project while others are opposed to it. The unions are fiercely opposed to this reform, which is in addition to those of 2021 and 2023: they fear increased precariousness for the unemployed, particularly among young people and seniors.
In mid-June, in a joint press release, the eight union confederations (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC, Unsa, Solidaires and FSU) urged the government to “renounce the most useless, unjust and unfair reform.” most violent ever seen. The general secretary of the CFDT, Marylise Léon, notably expressed her “anger”, denouncing a “only budgetary” reform which will hit “the pockets of the unemployed”.
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