On Wednesday, France witnessed a “historic” protest as over 2.5 million citizens took to the streets to protest against President Emmanuel Macron’s planned pension reforms, which include increasing the retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030.
The trade unions will now participate in widespread protests next week on 7 and 11 February.
Overview
Eight unions participated in the strikes, affecting public services, including public transport, schools, and oil refineries. Transport authorities cancelled 75% of the trains scheduled for journeys outside Paris, and only two driverless metros were running in the city. In addition, unions from oil refineries and secondary schools staged a walkout in support.
„We’re here to show solidarity with our parents and fight for our future,” young protesters tell us at the second big strike day against @EmmanuelMacron’s pension reform. Watch @dwnews for our report later today pic.twitter.com/LdArIDMOSY
— Lisa Louis (@weissercappu) January 31, 2023
Over 200 towns and cities across France witnessed demonstrations, including Marseille, Toulouse, Nice, Nantes, Rennes, and Saint Nazaire. The French government deployed 11,000 police officers across the country to prevent any untoward incident during the gathering.
Several reports of vandalism of bank windows and public property emerged following the protest. In response, the police officers fired tear gas to disperse the protestors.
Although local authorities said the Paris protests saw 87,000 activists take to the streets, according to the CGT union, over half a million participated in the protests in Paris alone. Thirty people were arrested towards the end of the march. Further, the union reported that 2.8 million participated in demonstrations against the government across the country.
Clashes between protesters and French police erupt as protests continue to rock France.
— Hassan Mafi (@thatdayin1992) January 31, 2023
More than a half million protesters have taken to the streets throughout France to protest against Macron's policies.pic.twitter.com/3HoRUwhnXo
Macron’s Pension Reforms
Macron and PM Elisabeth Borne are planning to introduce changes to the pension system by increasing the retirement age from 62 to 64. Consequently, employees will have to work for longer to secure their full pension.
In France, every citizen in retirement is entitled to receive a state pension, which is funded by contributions of those who are still working. It is currently at $1,500 per month, which the reforms intend to bring down to $1,300.
The pension system in France is set to go into losses in the coming years. In addition, with an increasingly ageing population, the number of beneficiaries will increase, while the number of contributors will continue to drop.
Italy, France, and Germany spend more than 10% of their GDP on pensions. pic.twitter.com/RNcQrei4ZX
— Fabian Wintersberger (@f_wintersberger) January 27, 2023
According to France’s Labour Ministry, the amendments will bring in an additional $19.18 billion worth of pension contributions every year.
The policy is in line with the French President’s repeated calls for French people to “work more.” On Monday, Macron said the amendments were “essential when we compare ourselves to the rest of Europe,” as France’s retirement age is the lowest among Europe’s major economies.
Retirement ages across Western European countries are higher than that in France. Italy, Germany, and Spain have increased the official retirement age to 67. Meanwhile, it stands at 66 in the UK.
Despite opinion polls reporting two-thirds of the country’s opposition to the reforms, Macron is set to push through with the changes.
Previously, PM Borne said that the changes were “non-negotiable.” However, she said the government was open to looking at exceptions to the changes, particularly for women.
The government will introduce the reforms in the National Assembly next week. Macron will need the support of right-wing opposition members of the parliament to pass the amendments.