Pension reform: “The right to debate, yes, the right to block, no”, insists the Minister of Higher Education after the evacuation of the University of Bordeaux

“A few dozen out of 200, approximately, schools and universities” experienced disruptions linked to the mobilization against the pension reform, announced Saturday April 1 on France Inter Sylvie Retailleau, Minister of Higher Education and Research. On March 28, during the 10th day of national action against the reform, the Ministry of Education reported 53 incidents in France in front of schools.

Sylvie Retailleau specifies that she has nothing against the holding of general meetings. “If young people no longer expressed their thoughts, it would be very worrying for democracy!”, she says. But she opposes blockages. “The right to strike, the right to exchange, the right to debate, yes. The right to block, no”she hammered.

“When you look at the result of the premises in Bordeaux which are degraded, there are practically six months of work to be done which will prevent students from going to work.”

Sylvie Retailleau, Minister of Higher Education and Research

at France Inter

There will be “evacuation operations when there is really a blockage with damage, with acts of vandalism”warns the minister, citing the example of Bordeaux on Friday. “That is, there are blockages that prevent access to student areas or a building, but mostly with damage.” The Bordeaux site, specifies the minister, was blocked by around forty people, “including some from outside the university”while it has around 50,000 students.