Protests in France have been raging on for days with more than a million angry protesters gathering against President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reform that will raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 years old.
Protesters have set fire to the town hall, blocked train tracks and highways, set fire to garbage piles, filled streets with garbage, and have even been in clashes with police. Tear gas has been deployed along with the use of water cannons against protesters. Some argue that the French police have been too rough on protesters with AP news citing “A man in a Paris march lost a testicle to an officer’s club, and a police grenade took the thumb of a woman in Rouen. A railroad worker hit by grenade fragments lost an eye.” This was the twelfth day of mobilization since January 19, 2023.
The government passed the controversial pension by using a constitutional tool called, “Article 49.3,” which allows it to pass a law in parliament without a vote. President Macron claims it was necessary because of the aging population and stated they were at risk to run a deficit. By raising the retirement age, he said, more workers would put money into the system.
An article published by NPR writes how countries like France have such a low birth rate that young workers might not be able to sustain pensions for retirees. It said, “Mr. Macron says raising the retirement age is necessary to preserve the pension system without raising taxes or increasing the country’s debt.” But, some political scientists argue that there are other ways of financing the pension from other sources such as raising taxes for the wealthy.
The youth of France are also protesting against Macron and the Government. The Wall Street Journal wrote an article on young French protesters that worry about their parents’ retirement saying, “They are worried about their aging parents, who would be forced to delay their retirement once Mr.Macron’s bill becomes law.” A survey of 1,005 people by the polling firm Elabe back on March 28 and 29 showed 71% of people between the ages of 18 and 24 back the protest movement against the pension overhaul.
On an optimistic note, the garbage strike that left piles of garbage uncollected on the capital streets after a week-long strike has finally come to an end. “The GGT union which organized the strikes, said in a statement that workers will return to their jobs Wednesday,” wrote AP news. With the strike suspended, workers will have to face the task of cleaning mounds of trash that reach up to 10,000 tons along the French capital’s streets.
The Constitutional Council will give its verdict on the bill on April 14, 2023. The council has the power to strike down the bill or parts of it, and decide whether the bill is in line with the constitution. However there is no guarantee that the council will make any changes to the bill and it’s not common for them to outright reject an entire bill. Until then, French protesters will continue to march the streets in defiance.
