Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

France braces for protests as Macron pushes forward with pension reform

France braces for protests as Macron pushes forward with pension reform

Saturday’s nationwide protests expected to be the biggest yet as Macron seeks to raise retirement age to 64.
Authorities in France are braced for the biggest mass demonstration in years as protesters take to the streets Saturday to decry President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed pension reforms.

Up to 850,000 people are expected to show up for protests scheduled to take place across the country.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the former presidential candidate and veteran left-wing leader, predicted that the mobilization would be “the biggest social mobilization in this country in a half a century.”

Macron’s political legacy could rest on the outcome of his plan to raise France’s retirement age to 64, as he tackles the thorny issue of pensions — a sacred cow of French society that is seen as the backbone of the country’s social contract.

Saturday’s action is the fourth in a series of protests, but union bosses are confident that it will be the biggest to date, given that it taking place on a weekend.

Marie Buisson, general secretary of the Ferc-CGT union, which represents the education and cultural sector, said Saturday morning that she hoped that many people who were unable to participate in previous stoppages during the week now would do so.

Macron put pension reform at the heart of his reelection campaign last year but is battling public backlash against his proposal to raise the minimum pension age, which is currently 62.

His new legislation went to parliament on February 6 and has been vilified by the left-wing NUPES parliamentary coalition, trade unions and broad swaths of the public.

French presidents have tried — and failed — for years to reform France’s pension system.

France, the EU’s second-largest economy, is out of step with much of Europe when it comes to its minimum retirement age. In neighboring Spain the retirement age is 65; in Germany, it was recently changed to 67, with many countries opting to increase their minimum retirement ages in recent years as people live longer and governments grapple with massive pension liabilities.

But critics of Macron’s plan have said that it risks disproportionately hitting lower-income workers and argue that there are other ways of tackling the pension deficit, such as taxing the super-rich.

Though Macron could technically push through the proposals through a special constitutional provision, the government has said it wants to get a majority in parliament, with economy minister Bruno Le Maire describing it as a question of “political legitimacy.”

As the political horse-trading steps up, Macron’s government has already made some concessions — proposing that those who began working at 20 and 21 can retire at 63, for example. But it is unclear if this will be sufficient to sway enough members of the National Assembly.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
×