Martine Aubry, première secrétaire du PS, a annoncé, mardi 18 mai, que les socialistes s'opposeraient de "toutes leurs forces" à un report de l'âge légal de départ à la retraite. Pour combler le déficit, elle a proposé une surtaxe de 15 % de l'impôt sur les sociétés pour les banques et plusieurs mesures de taxation des revenus du capital.
So, there we have in a nutshell the 2012 presidential campaign, which starts today. Sarkozy is committed to raising the legal age of retirement. The PS is strenuously opposed. The issue skirts the real problems with the retirement system, but it's a clear enough criterion for a nice political spat. The PS gets to look like it's on the left, and Sarko gets to portray himself as the "reponsible" steward of the social safety net. Meanwhile, what actually happens to the retirement system will be negotiated in the back room by the serious folks among the "social partners": technocrats working for the unions, the employers' associations, and the ministries. In short, business as usual.