The Medef (French employers' association) vetoes any increase in contributions to finance pensions

"Agreeing on the terms of balancing the system, without increasing employer and employee contributions, is (...) a prerequisite for the necessary examination of all other issues," the employers' organization said in a press release.

"The very worrying situation of our country's public finances and the marked hardening of the international context confirm the absolute necessity of firmly holding this line," she added.

The employers' statement appears to reflect a certain tension between the five organisations still participating in the former "conclave" on pensions (Medef and CPME on the employers' side, CFDT, CFE-CGC and CFTC on the employees' unions' side).

These five organizations are attempting to agree on a "note of objectives," a roadmap that should help frame the rest of their work and signal the social partners' empowerment from the Bayrou government, which initiated this consultation on pensions.

Last Thursday, at the end of the final meeting of what was called a "conclave," the CFDT welcomed the progress of the discussions, considering that it was "a completed project."

But the five organizations made no secret of the fact that the final version, which notably displays a shared objective of financial balance for the pension system, still needed to find a definitive formulation under the pen of Jean-Jacques Marette, the facilitator of the work.

The five organizations will meet again on Thursday afternoon for a new discussion session.

In particular, they will be presented with the second report requested from the Court of Auditors by Prime Minister François Bayrou.

This report must examine the links between the pension system and the functioning of the economy, and in particular employment and competitiveness.