Le gouvernement soumettra “en novembre” la suspension de la réforme des retraites, le PS menace de censure en cas d’échec

Le gouvernement soumettra en “novembre” un amendement de suspension de la réforme des retraites, a affirmé mercredi Sébastien Lecornu, le patron des députés PS Boris Vallaud avertissant que, “peu importe le véhicule”, “sans suspension il n’y pas de gouvernement”.”Il faut que le gouvernement dépose un amendement au projet de loi de finances pour la Sécurité sociale dès le mois de novembre”, a déclaré le Premier ministre à l’Assemblée, lors de sa première séance de questions au gouvernement.Le gouvernement propose de mettre en pause jusqu’à la présidentielle le recul progressif à 64 ans de l’âge de départ, ainsi que la durée de cotisation, et a obtenu en échange, à ce stade, une non-censure des socialistes.”Ce sera au Parlement de le décider, et donc à chacune et chacun, ici, dans la plus grande clarté, de porter ses convictions”, a complété le Premier ministre.Son intervention a mis fin à un doute sur la procédure.A l’Assemblée mardi, la ministre des Comptes publics Amélie de Montchalin avait affirmé que la suspension ferait l’objet d’un “amendement” au projet de loi de financement de la Sécurité sociale (PLFSS). Mais le ministre du Travail Jean-Pierre Farandou avait, un peu plus tard, semé le doute en évoquant une loi, sans dire si elle serait distincte.- “Pas de suspension, pas de gouvernement” -Le patron des députés PS Boris Vallaud a fait une très brève allocution devant la presse à l’Assemblée pour envoyer un message. “Peu importe le véhicule, le Premier ministre a pris un engagement devant la représentation nationale et les Français (…) S’il n’y a pas de suspension, il n’y a pas de gouvernement”, a-t-il déclaré, suggérant que les socialistes pourraient finalement se prononcer pour une censure dans la suite du débat budgétaire.Un avertissement au Premier ministre, et par ricochet aux députés du camp gouvernemental. Mais sa sortie lui permet peut-être aussi d’envoyer des gages à son propre groupe, à la veille du vote sur les motions de censure déposées par LFI et le RN, alors que le patron du PS Olivier Faure a donné pour consigne de ne pas les voter. Certains socialistes ont du mal à accepter la décision de ne pas censurer a priori Sébastien Lecornu.Ils s’inquiètent notamment qu’un amendement au PLFSS implique ensuite que le texte dans son intégralité soit adopté, avec peut-être des voix socialistes pour faire le compte.Le coordinateur de LFI, Manuel Bompard, ne s’est d’ailleurs pas privé de mettre en avant cet argument. Cela “veut dire que le Parti socialiste devra voter la baisse des retraites pendant 4 ans ou la baisse de l’indemnisation des personnes atteintes de maladies chroniques”, a-t-il taclé.Le député RN Jean-Philippe Tanguy a lui mis “au défi l’ensemble des députés socialistes d’apporter aujourd’hui la preuve concrète et opposable qu’ils ont les moyens d’obtenir la suspension de la réforme”. Selon lui, l’amendement du gouvernement sera considéré comme “cavalier” par le Conseil constitutionnel, c’est-à-dire “n’entrant pas directement” dans “le financement de la sécurité sociale”. Un conseiller de l’exécutif réfute l’idée : “les retraites c’est complètement dans le champ du PLFSS”.Le président LFI de la commission des Finances Éric Coquerel a lui demandé au gouvernement qu’il “s’engage sur une loi spécifique” si le PLFSS n’était “pas adopté” ou “dépassait les 50 jours” d’examen prévus par la Constitution.

Terres rares: Washington appelle “le monde” à s’allier contre Pékin

Le gouvernement américain a appelé mercredi à faire front commun contre les restrictions mises en place par Pékin sur les exportations de terres rares, essentielles à l’économie mondiale, assurant que “c’est la Chine contre le reste du monde”.”Nous n’allons pas laisser un groupe de bureaucrates à Pékin tenter de contrôler les chaînes de production mondiales”, a dit sur un ton offensif le ministre des Finances Scott Bessent, lors d’une rare conférence de presse organisée au sein du ministère par le Trésor, à quelques pas de la Maison Blanche.”Pour être clair, cela n’est pas un sujet seulement pour les Etats-Unis (…) c’est une manœuvre de coercition économique contre tous les pays du monde”, a affirmé lors du même évènement le représentant au Commerce Jamieson Greer.Ces déclarations ont été prononcées alors que des responsables gouvernementaux du monde entier sont rassemblés cette semaine à Washington pour les réunions annuelles du FMI et de la Banque mondiale.”Cela devrait clairement montrer à nos alliés que nous devons travailler ensemble, et c’est ce que nous ferons”, a encore dit M. Bessent aux journalistes mercredi.- “Réponse coordonnée” -Premier producteur mondial de terres rares, la Chine a annoncé la semaine dernière de nouveaux contrôles sur les technologies liées à ces matériaux essentiels pour le numérique, l’automobile, l’énergie ou encore l’armement.Cela a provoqué la colère de Donald Trump qui a menacé d’imposer de nouveaux droits de douane sur les produits chinois et d’annuler une rencontre avec son homologue Xi Jinping.”Bien que nous puissions prendre des mesures importantes” en représailles, “nous préférons ne pas le faire”, a assuré mercredi Scott Bessent.Selon lui, “la Chine est ouverte à la discussion”. “Je suis optimiste quant à la possibilité d’apaiser la situation”, a-t-il ajouté.Pékin a défendu mercredi les contrôles qu’elle impose sur les exportations de terres rares en assurant qu’ils étaient conformes aux pratiques internationales.Ces nouvelles règles sont “source d’inquiétude”, a jugé mercredi auprès de l’AFP le Commissaire européen à l’Economie Valdis Dombrovskis, assurant que l’UE “prête mener une réponse coordonnée, notamment dans le cadre du G7″.Le président Trump a, lui, semblé souffler le chaud et le froid la veille, vantant une nouvelle fois sa relation personnelle avec Xi, et menaçant de stopper les achats par les Etats-Unis d’huile de cuisson en provenance de Chine.Scott Bessent a affirmé mercredi que, selon ses informations, le président Donald Trump comptait toujours rencontrer prochainement son homologue Xi Jinping.”Autant que je sache, le président Trump est pour”, a-t-il dit.Donald Trump avait annoncé qu’une rencontre était programmée en marge du sommet de l’APEC (Coopération économique Asie-Pacifique), prévu le 31 octobre et le 1er novembre en Corée du Sud, avant de dire qu’il songeait à se raviser.

Canada fears for auto jobs after Stellantis announces US investment

Canadian leaders said Wednesday that Jeep-maker Stellantis’s decision to invest $13 billion in the United States threatens Canadian jobs, urging action to counter what they called another casualty of President Donald Trump’s trade war.The automaker on Tuesday announced what it described as its largest US investment push in its 100-year history, aiming to create 5,000 jobs across the midwestern United States.Stellantis told AFP on Wednesday that “as part of this announcement, we will move one model from Canada to the US.”UNIFOR, Canada’s largest private-sector union representing thousands of autoworkers, said the model in question is the Jeep Compass, which will shift from a plant in Brampton, Ontario, to Illinois.”Canadian auto jobs are being sacrificed on the Trump altar,” Unifor national president Lana Payne said in a statement, calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government “to use Canada’s leverage now to fight for our auto jobs.”Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Wednesday called the announcement “painful” for workers.”I have spoken with Stellantis to stress my disappointment with their decision to prioritize investment in the US,” Ford said, also urging Carney “to stand up for the 157,000 workers in Ontario’s auto sector.”Reshoring auto jobs has been a central plank of Trump’s trade policy.Canada has been partially spared from his global auto sector tariffs through an existing North American trade pact.But the levies in place have created uncertainty for Canadian autoworkers.Carney, who met with Trump in Washington last week to advance trade talks, has expressed optimism about the prospects for a deal to cut tariffs in certain sectors like aluminum, but a breakthrough on autos appears less promising.- ‘Transform our economy’ -Reacting to the Stellantis announcement late Tuesday, Carney said the company’s decision was “a direct consequence of current US tariffs.”He said his government would continue to prioritize investments “that will transform our economy from being overly reliant on our largest trading partner (the US).”University of Toronto industrial relations expert Rafael Gomez told AFP that Canada needs to be prepared for a steady loss of auto assembly jobs over the coming years.Trump will not relent on tariffs designed to ensure more cars are made in the US, Gomez said.”Think of the photo op — cutting a ribbon in front of the first new Jeep made in Illinois in years,” he added.Canada should prioritize being an essential provider of auto parts to serve US assembly plants, Gomez said.Stellantis told AFP it remains committed to Canada.”We have been in Canada for over 100 years, and we are investing,” the company said in a statement.”We have plans for Brampton and will share them upon further discussions with the Canadian government.”

Venezuela holds fresh military exercises after US strike in Caribbean

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday ordered military exercises in the country’s biggest shantytowns after US forces blew up another boat allegedly carrying drugs from the Caribbean country.President Donald Trump said six “narcoterrorists” were killed in the strike on the vessel in international waters near Venezuela, bringing to at least 27 people the number killed in such attacks since early September.Trump has also deployed eight warships, a nuclear-power submarine and fighter jets to the region as part of what he has presented as an operation to combat drug smuggling into the United States.Maduro, who is widely believed to have stolen last year’s presidential election, has accused Washington of plotting regime change.In a message on the Telegram social network, the authoritarian Socialist said he was mobilizing the military, police and a civilian militia to defend Venezuela’s “mountains, coasts, schools, hospitals, factories and markets.”State television showed images of armored vehicles deploying in the sprawling low-income Caracas suburb of Petare, a traditional stronghold of socialist support.Military exercises will also take place in Miranda state, which neighbors Caracas.He said the deployments aim to “win the peace.”Trump accuses Maduro of heading a drug cartel — charges Maduro denies.The US Justice Department in August doubled a bounty for information leading to Maduro’s capture to $50 million.Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said Wednesday the United States was scheming to “rob” Venezuela, a once wealthy petro-state, “of its immense natural resources.”The pressure on Maduro inched higher last week when US-backed opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for leading peaceful resistance to his 12-year rule.

Ahmedabad set to host 2030 Commonwealth Games

The Indian city of Ahmedabad is in prime position to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, the Executive Board of Commonwealth Sport announced on Wednesday.The choice of Ahmedabad, also known as Amdavad, will be put forward to the full Commonwealth Sport membership, with a final decision to be taken at the Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow on November 26.”The Executive Board of Commonwealth Sport has today confirmed that it will recommend Amdavad, India, as the proposed host city for the 2030 Centenary Commonwealth Games,” the Executive Board said in a statement.Ahmedabad is the key city in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat, home to a 130,000-seater arena which is the world’s biggest cricket stadium. The venue is named after the premier.India has its eyes on a bigger prize, having submitted a formal letter of intent last year to the International Olympic Committee to host the 2036 Summer Olympics.Ahmedabad got the nod over the Nigerian capital Abuja.India’s Home Minister Amit Shah described the announcement as “a day of immense joy and pride for India”.”Heartiest congratulations to every citizen of India on Commonwealth Association’s approval of India’s bid to host the Commonwealth Games 2030 in Ahmedabad.”  The future existence of the Commonwealth Games was in doubt last year when the movement struggled to find a replacement host for 2026 after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew for cost reasons.The Scottish city of Glasgow stepped in and will stage a slimmed-down version of the multi-sport format, meaning Britain will have hosted two editions in a row, after Birmingham in 2022.The 2030 Games will mark the centenary of the inaugural event held in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930. 

Syrian leader seeks reset in Russia relations in Putin meeting

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Wednesday he wanted to “redefine” relations with Moscow as Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted him in their first meeting since key Kremlin ally Bashar al-Assad was ousted last year.In front of the television cameras, Putin greeted Sharaa warmly at the Kremlin, but behind closed doors the Syrian leader was expected to push for Moscow to extradite Assad, who fled there after being toppled.The two were also expected to discuss the status of Russia’s prized military bases in Syria — the naval base in Tartus and air base at Hmeimim — the fate of which has been uncertain since the rebel takeover.Russia was a key ally of Assad during the bloody 14-year Syrian civil war, providing vital military support that kept his forces in power.He was ousted last December in an offensive led by Sharaa’s Islamist forces, fleeing to Russia, which has been sheltering him and his family for the past 10 months.In remarks at the start of the meeting, Sharaa acknowledged the two countries’ historic ties but said he wanted a recalibration, as he brings Damascus in from isolation on the world stage.”We are trying to restore and redefine in a new way the nature of these relations so there is independence for Syria, sovereign Syria, and also its territorial unity and integrity and its security stability,” Sharaa told Putin.- Putin hails ‘special relations’ -The Russian leader hailed “special relations” between the two countries that “have developed between our countries over many decades”.Neither publicly mentioned Assad or the Russian bases, the main sticking points in the relationship.Al-Sharaa said before the meeting: “We respect all previous agreements,” without elaborating. After the meeting, which according to Russian state media lasted for more than two and a half hours, Moscow said it was ready to continue its role in Syria’s crude oil production.”Russian companies have been working on Syria’s oilfields for a long time,” vice premier Alexander Novak was quoted as saying by state news agency TASS, adding that there were some new fields where Moscow was “ready to participate”.Russia, which in 2015 started launching air strikes on rebel-held territory in Syria, also said it wanted to help rebuild the country, battered by the long war.”Our companies are interested in the development of transport infrastructure and the restoration of energy systems” of Syria, Novak said.- Assad asylum -A Syrian government official told AFP before the meeting that Sharaa would request Putin hand over Assad, who Russia says it is protecting on “humanitarian grounds”.The official, who requested anonymity as they were not allowed to brief the media, told AFP: “Sharaa will ask the Russian president to hand over all individuals who committed war crimes and are in Russia, most notably Bashar al-Assad.”Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed earlier this week the ousted leader was still living in Moscow.”We have granted asylum to Bashar al-Assad and his family for purely humanitarian reasons. He has no issues residing in our capital,” Lavrov said at a forum on Monday.Russia’s military support for Assad helped turn the tide of the Syrian civil war in his favour when it started intervening in 2015.Russian warplanes rained air strikes on rebel-held areas of Syria including the northwest Idlib region, which was largely controlled by Sharaa’s Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the later years of the conflict.During a government offensive launched in late 2019 to retake parts of the province, Moscow carried out hundreds of air strikes on the rebel bastion, causing casualties and widespread destruction, including to civilian infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, marketplaces and residential areas.Moscow also sponsored so-called reconciliation deals between government forces and opposition factions in several parts of Syria that resulted in the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians and fighters to Idlib.HTS, of which Sharaa was a leader, was not one of them.During the Syrian civil war, Russia in 2020 placed HTS on its list of recognised “terrorists”.burs/rlp

Gaza to Egypt crossing remains shut as Israel pushes for hostage remains

The lifeline Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt remained shut on Wednesday despite reports that it could reopen to aid convoys, as Israel insisted Hamas hand over the remains of the last deceased hostages it holds.Early in the day, Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported that the crossing point would reopen, but humanitarian sources told AFP this had not happened and a government spokeswoman ignored questions on the subject. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher expressed frustration that the ceasefire, brokered by US President Donald Trump and hailed by world leaders, had yet to facilitate the scale of relief needed in the devastated Palestinian territory.”As Hamas have agreed, they must make strenuous efforts to return all the bodies of deceased hostages, urgently. I am also gravely concerned by the evidence of violence against civilians in Gaza,” Fletcher said.”As Israel has agreed, they must allow the massive surge of humanitarian aid — thousands of trucks a week — on which so many lives depend, and on which the world has insisted. We need more crossings open.”- Humanitarian risk -Meanwhile, under the Trump plan endorsed by international mediators, Israel and Hamas are expected to continue their exchange of human remains, which also hit an unexpected obstacle on Wednesday.The swap has seen the last 20 surviving hostages return home in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli jails, as well as a halt in the fighting and bombardment.So far, Hamas has handed back eight bodies, seven of which have been identified. The remains of 20 others remain in Gaza, and there is domestic pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to tie aid to the fate of the bodies.The eighth — unidentified — body was not that of a former hostage, the Israeli military said after overnight tests, leading some Israeli politicians to accuse Hamas of breaking the ceasefire agreement.Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has threatened to cut off aid supplies to Gaza if Hamas fails to return the remains of soldiers still held in the territory.Israel, meanwhile, transferred another 45 Palestinian bodies that had been in its custody to Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, bringing the number handed back to 90, the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry said. Under the Trump plan Israel is to return 15 Palestinian dead for every deceased Israeli hostage.- Aid trucks -The war sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel led to a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, with the densely-populated territory reliant on aid that was heavily restricted, when not cut off outright.At the end of August, the United Nations declared a famine in Gaza, though Israel rejected the claim. The return of aid is listed in Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza.Another political challenge is Hamas’s disarmament, a demand the militant group has refused to countenance.The group is tightening its grip on the Gaza Strip’s ruined cities, launching a crackdown and executing alleged collaborators with Israel.Hamas has published a video on its official channel showing the summary executions of eight blindfolded and kneeling people, branding them “collaborators and outlaws”.The footage, apparently from Monday evening, emerged as armed clashes were underway between Hamas’s various security units and armed Palestinian clans, some alleged to have Israeli backing.In the north of the territory, as Israeli forces withdrew from Gaza City, the Hamas government’s black-masked armed police resumed their patrols.”Our message is clear: There will be no place for outlaws or those who threaten the security of citizens,” a Palestinian security source in Gaza told AFP.- ‘Perhaps violently’ -Israel and the United States insist Hamas can have no role in a future Gaza government.Trump’s plan says that Hamas members who agree to “decommission their weapons” will be given amnesty.”If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them,” Trump told reporters at the White House a day after visiting the Middle East to celebrate the Gaza ceasefire.”And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently.”

US Treasury chief: Beijing’s rare earths move is ‘China vs world’

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent slammed Beijing’s rare earth export curbs Wednesday as “China versus the world,” vowing that Washington and its allies would “neither be commanded nor controlled.””This should be a clear sign to our allies that we must work together, and work together we will,” Bessent told reporters at a press conference.His comments came as global economic leaders gather in Washington this week for the International Monetary Fund and World Bank’s fall meetings.”We should work together to de-risk and diversify our supply chains away from China as quickly as possible,” Bessent urged.He spoke days after Beijing announced fresh controls on the export of rare earth technologies and items.China is the world’s leading producer of the minerals used to make magnets crucial to the auto, electronic and defense industries.Bessent maintained that Washington would “rather not” take substantial actions to retaliate against China, expecting that more talks with Beijing will be forthcoming this week.Earlier Wednesday, Bessent told CNBC that that he was “optimistic” about trade talks with China despite the surge in tensions.- Longer tariff truce? -A trade war between Washington and Beijing has reignited in US President Donald Trump’s second term, with tit-for-tat duties reaching triple-digit levels at one point, snarling supply chains.Both sides have de-escalated tariff levels but their truce remains shaky and is set to expire in early November.With the latest controls surrounding rare earths, Trump has threatened an additional 100-percent tariff on goods from China starting November 1.US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer warned at Wednesday’s press briefing that US plans for a tariff hike or other export controls are in the works.But he expressed hope that China would back off its rare earth curbs.Bessent said an extension of the pause in steep tariffs was possible — in return for a delay in rare earth controls.”Is it possible that we could go to a longer roll in return for a delay? Perhaps,” Bessent said. “But all that is going to be negotiated in the coming weeks, before the leaders meet in (South) Korea.”The leaders of the world’s two biggest economies are expected to hold talks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit starting later this month.Bessent earlier told CNBC that Trump still planned to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the summit.Greer said Wednesday that “this is not just about the United States.””China’s announcement is nothing more than a global supply chain power grab,” he said. “This move is not proportional retaliation. It is an exercise in economic coercion on every country in the world.”

Maronite leader says Pope Leo will carry message of ‘peace’ to Lebanon

Pope Leo XIV will carry a message of peace to Lebanon and the Christians of the Middle East when he visits next month, Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai told AFP on Wednesday.The Vatican said last week that Pope Leo will travel to Turkey and Lebanon in a six-day trip beginning late November, his first since becoming head of the Catholic Church.Rai, who heads the Maronite Church, religiously diverse Lebanon’s most influential Christian sect, hailed the pontiff’s visit at a time of truce in the conflict between Israel and Lebanon, as well as the war in Gaza.In an interview with AFP from the Maronite Patriarchate headquarters in Bkerke, north of Beirut, Rai said that the US-born pope “will bring peace and hope to Lebanon during his visit”.”He comes at a time when the war in Gaza has ceased… and we are living in Lebanon under a ceasefire, despite violations occurring,” he added.After more than a year of hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah Islamist group, a ceasefire agreement was signed in November.The truce remains in effect despite Israel carrying out near-daily strikes on Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah members and infrastructure.A few days ago, a ceasefire also came into effect in the Gaza Strip after a devastating two-year war between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel.”I believe that during this visit, he will focus on peace, and he will ask Lebanon to continue on its path toward peace,” said Rai, whose Church is in full communion with Rome. – ‘Preserve Lebanon’ -The latest conflict killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon and devastated Beirut’s southern suburbs and the country’s south and east, areas where Hezbollah holds sway.Last week, Pope Leo said that his trip to Lebanon from November 30 to December 2 presents “the opportunity to announce once again the message of peace… in a country that has also suffered so much”.Rai, who has long called for Lebanon to be kept out of regional conflicts, stated that he believes the visit “will remind all Lebanese, Christians and Muslims alike, of their responsibility to preserve Lebanon”.”The value of Lebanon lies in the fact that each of its groups maintains its role and identity. Coexistence means that Christians have their identity and Muslims have theirs. The pope does not come to say, ‘abandon your identity’, but rather, ‘Live your identity’,” he added.”This is how the Vatican understands Lebanon, with its cultural and religious pluralism.”Pope Leo XIV is the third pontiff to visit Lebanon, after John Paul II in 1997 and Benedict XVI in 2012, who received a tremendous popular reception.His trip comes in the wake of a series of crises that have ravaged Lebanon, from a crushing economic crisis that began in 2019, to the horrific port explosion the following summer, to the recent war.”The visit is a great relief for Christians in Lebanon,” Rai said, as well as for “Christians in Syria, Iraq, Iran, and the Holy Land”, who have gone through wars, conflicts, and waves of displacement.

Rachat de SFR: Altice France rejette une première offre de ses trois concurrents

Aussitôt déposée, aussitôt rejetée: l’offre de rachat de SFR par ses concurrents Orange, Free et Bouygues Telecom, écartée dès mercredi matin par sa maison-mère Altice France, relance les conjectures sur l’ouverture de négociations et un possible passage de quatre à trois opérateurs.Bouygues Telecom, Orange et Iliad (Free) se sont positionnés de manière inédite mardi avec une proposition commune de rachat de “la plupart des actifs de l’opérateur SFR” pour 17 milliards d’euros.Une offre “immédiatement rejetée” par Altice France, maison mère de SFR.Du côté des acheteurs potentiels, Bouygues Telecom et Orange se sont fendus de deux réponses, tout aussi brèves: les groupes ont respectivement “pris connaissance” et “pris note” du rejet.Pour Sylvain Chevallier, analyste télécoms et associé du cabinet de conseil Bearing Point, “ce qui est important, c’est qu’il y ait une offre sur la table, pour que le processus de négociation commence”. Avec cette offre menée par trois concurrents, le marché renoue avec l’hypothèse d’un rapprochement entre opérateurs, inédite depuis la tentative de rachat de Bouygues Telecom par Orange abandonnée en 2016.- Une question de prix ? -L’hypothétique rachat, qui prendrait des mois voire des années, devrait d’abord passer par un consensus sur le montant.”Personne n’imaginait que la première offre soit la bonne”, souligne auprès de l’AFP Sylvain Chevallier. Avant le rejet de SFR mercredi matin, plusieurs analystes bancaires avaient qualifié l’offre de relativement basse.D’après une note de la banque UBS, le prix de rachat de 17 milliards d’euros, qui porterait selon ses concurrents la valeur totale d’Altice France à 21 milliards, est “juste en deçà” de la valorisation moyenne calculée sur le secteur. “Évidemment le prix est bas, puisque de toute façon, dans la négociation, il va monter”, pointe Sylvain Chevallier, qui parle néanmoins d’une “offre tout à fait crédible.”L’offre de mardi soir est venue mettre fin à des mois de spéculations accompagnant la restructuration financière d’Altice France. Avec une dette tombée de plus de 24 milliards à 15,5 milliards d’euros début octobre, la maison mère de SFR s’est éloignée de la menace d’un mur de la dette. Une opération qui l’a placée dans “une situation financière assainie, une situation opérationnelle et commerciale très largement améliorée” avec des “actifs uniques”, vantait fin septembre son PDG Arthur Dreyfuss.”Nous savons qu’il y a un certain nombre de marques d’intérêt pour certains actifs”, avait-il aussi indiqué. Les opérateurs concurrents s’étaient déjà déclarés favorables à une consolidation du marché, dans un secteur mature où les acteurs se livrent à une guerre des prix pour attirer des clients et rentabiliser de nombreux coûts fixes. “La consolidation sur le marché français pourrait aboutir à un environnement plus équilibré au regard de la concurrence et des prix”, a commenté la banque UBS.- “Vigilance” sur les tarifs -Les éventuelles discussions futures, comme leurs impacts économiques et sociaux, seront suivies de près.Si Bouygues Telecom, Free et Orange ont assuré vouloir “préserver un écosystème concurrentiel au bénéfice des consommateurs”, le ministre de l’Economie Roland Lescure a assuré mercredi qu’il resterait attentif.”Je vais être extrêmement vigilant sur cette opération, parce qu’aujourd’hui (…) en France, on a les prix des téléphones mobiles, des abonnements, parmi les moins chers d’Europe”, a-t-il déclaré sur RTL. Du côté des syndicats, qui expriment depuis plusieurs mois la crainte d’un “projet de démantèlement” de l’opérateur aux 8.000 salariés, le rejet de l’offre n’a pas éteint les inquiétudes. “J’ai passé ma matinée avec des salariés qui se demandent +Est-ce qu’on doit partir maintenant ? Qu’est-ce qu’on fait?+”, indique à l’AFP Olivier Lelong, délégué syndical central CFDT.Mercredi matin, le syndicat a dénoncé dans un communiqué une opération qui “pourrait entraîner la suppression de plusieurs milliers d’emplois directs et indirects”.Avec le syndicat Unsa et le CSE du groupe, la CFDT a fait appel de la validation par la justice du plan de sauvegarde accélérée d’Altice France. Une audience doit se tenir le 4 novembre.