French President, Emmanuel Macron, has inaugurated a controversial reform dialogue, amid fierce criticism from France’s opposition parties.
“The first objective is to re-establish consensus on where the country is heading,’’ Macron said in Marcoussis near Paris before opening the so-called National Council of Renewal.
Together with around 40 local political representatives, as well as associations and trade unions, Macron wanted to discuss the topics of education, health, work, climate change and France’s ageing population at the first meeting of the dialogue forum.
Meanwhile, Macron also announced citizens would be able to participate in the discussion of climate change and ageing, as these areas spark a lot of tension within society.
The goal, he said, was to put the French people back at the centre of the relevant discussions and decisions.
Macron hoped the new discussion format would create a new way of working and bring the most diverse actors to the table.
However, in spite of an invitation, opposition parties refused to participate in the forum on Thursday.
They accused Macron of trying to bypass parliament or just staging a public relations stunt. (dpa/NAN)
