Governance by 49.3

Governance by 49.3

Mar 16, 2023, 5:06:27 PM UTC
Volt defends a pluralist and participatory democracy and condemns the use of Article 49.3 to bypass opposition.
Volt France - La gouvernance par 49.3

> Volt defends a pluralist and participatory democracy and condemns the use of Article 49.3 to bypass opposition, simply because a project, such as pension reform, does not find a majority in the national assembly and on the streets.

> Volt also deplores the current political culture and the weakness of our social democracy, from the weak dialogue with trade unions to the refusal of political camps - on all sides - to compromise on such a crucial reform.

> Volt warns of the more general deterioration of the democratic debate. Once again Europe has been denounced and wrongly blamed by Eurosceptics for the reform. Volt strongly opposes such rhetoric, which aims to capitalise on popular anger to strengthen sovereignist views.

> Volt is vigilant about the democratic risk taken by the government in forcing through this reform. The risk of a breach of trust between the French and their institutions is real. Volt rejects any fatalism but will fight vigorously against all populist and extremist discourses and policies.

After the Senate adopted today a compromise text of the Joint Committee on pension reform, the government does not seem to have found a majority in the National Assembly and will resort to Article 49.3 of the Constitution to pass its project into law.

Sven Franck, co-president of Volt France: "We may be one of the pioneer countries of parliamentary democracy in Europe, but the last few weeks, which led to the refusal to hold a vote in the National Assembly today, have certainly not increased the respect for our democratic institutions. All over Europe, governments work on the basis of cooperation and coalitions. Why not in France? And even on the subject of the reform itself, our government fails to explain how inequalities will be taken into account in defending a change in the retirement age to citizens and to our European partners. We need a different kind of political culture, one that is supported by a broad consensus in parliament and among the population."

Volt France promotes a pluralist and participatory democracy and therefore condemns the use of the fast-track procedure and the lack of social dialogue. In order to meet the challenge of the need to balance the pension system, Volt France stresses the need for a co-constructed reform - within the framework of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council and/or a Citizens' Convention - with trade unions, political parties, and French, European and non-EU citizens who pay contributions in France.

We also defend a positive approach to the issue of equity and balance in the pension system. As it stands, the reform proposed by the government is reduced to financial adjustments and places the bulk of the burden on the middle classes and the youngest, and particularly within these categories of the population, on women. Volt therefore calls for a change of method and stronger corrective measures to remedy the inequalities between men and women and to better distribute the efforts between the generations.

Sven Franck : "Even if the reform passes and the government does not fall, it will leave a big scar on this legislature that will be visible on future ballots. We have already seen in the last five years how our government's choices have fuelled the growth of the extremes. With such a closed democratic system, can we risk our country being governed by an extreme left or an extreme right in the near future? This reform had enough reasons not to pass. To ram it through and risk the stability of the democratic system is too high a price to pay."

About Volt 

As the first truly pan-European party, Volt is committed to reforming the European Union and responding to today's challenges in a coordinated way at European level. Volt's vision: a progressive Europe with an inclusive society, a climate-friendly economy, an adaptable education system and self-determined digitalisation.

Volt is convinced that only the democratic participation of all European citizens will prepare us for a sustainable, economically strong and socially just future. This is why Volt acts at all levels - from local to European, as a movement and as a party. The movement gives everyone a voice and the opportunity to engage politically from within society. Today, Volt is present all over Europe: thousands of people of all ages and professions are involved in 30 European countries with teams in hundreds of cities.

For interview requests or further information, please contact us at the following address :

Contact

Sven Franck - Co-President de Volt France
Mail : sven.franck@volteuropa.org

Zoé Gadeyne - Co-Responsable Communication
Mail : zoe.gadeyne@volteuropa.org

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Updated on March 16th, 2023, photo par BMFTV.