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Pension reform protestsDemos in France are getting out of hand – tourists are fleeing violence
French President Emmanuel Macron wants to push through his controversial pension reform without a parliamentary vote. Protests broke out in different parts of the country.
After it became clear that Emmanuel Macron wanted to push through the pension reform in France without a vote, violent riots broke out.
That’s what it’s about
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French President Emmanuel Macron wants to push through his controversial pension reform without a parliamentary vote.
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To do this, he relies on a special constitutional article.
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This has reignited public protests.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday bypassed parliament and invoked a special constitutional power to push through a controversial pension reform that raises the retirement age by two years to 64. The decision to rely on the constitutional article to push through the reform came just minutes before the vote in the National Assembly, the lower house of the French parliament. The move sparked protests and is expected to trigger no-confidence motions against his government, France 24 reports.
The angry roar in the National Assembly and the spontaneous demonstration on the Place de la Concorde probably gave a foretaste of the next few days. “Whoever sows misery reaps anger,” read one of the posters. The police broke up isolated protests with water cannons and tear gas.
Demonstrators stand around burning barriers during a demonstration at the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
AFP
These recordings are from Marseille. There is also said to have been looting here.
AFP
As a journalist from “Figaro” reports, a group of around 100 left-wing extremists moved through upscale neighborhoods in Paris. Tourists fled in shock. The police made 120 arrests in Paris on Thursday evening, according to “Le Figaro”.
In Nantes, where a demonstration also broke out, residents fled to bars because certain public places were so full of tear gas, writes “Le Fiagro”. There were also riots in Lyon and Rennes, and shops were also looted in Marseille.
The retirement age is to be raised by two years to 64 as part of a pension reform that is arguably the most important piece of legislation in Macron’s second term. The unpopular plan has sparked major strikes and protests across the country since January.
French pensioners are currently much further away from misery than in other industrialized countries. Less than five percent live below the poverty line. In most neighboring countries, the retirement age is already significantly higher.
Pension system as national pride
But for many French people, the protests against the pension reform are about more than that. The pension system is considered an important social achievement and is a matter of national pride. In France, employees suffer more often at work than in other countries, the structures are more hierarchical.
Many people feel overwhelmed in their work and see retirement as a fair compensation for a hard working life. According to the opposition, the reform primarily disadvantages people in arduous jobs, who often started working at an early age.
Even if the reform provides for a number of exceptions, the public has the impression that Macron is once again acting as the “president of the rich” who has no understanding for the needs of the people.
Are you in France right now and witnessing the protests?
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