Understanding the situation in France after the protests over pension reform

Since mid-January, France He faces a wave of demonstrations against the president’s planned pension reform Emmanuel Macron. This Saturday, the eleventh, about 300 thousand people took to the streets again to express their discontent, which increased even more on Friday, after the French leader refused to meet with the union. “When millions of people are on the streets, when there are strikes and all you get on the other side is silence, people ask: What else do we need to do to be heard?” said Felipe Martinez, leader of the CGT union. Before calling for a referendum on pension reform. This week, the largest protest against pension reform was recorded. A day later, the Senate approved the main article of the Pension Reform Bill. For the initiative to enter into force, it must be approved by both houses of parliament by March 26.

The mobilization in France, on Tuesday, the seventh, entered a new phase, with the largest protest to date, 1.8 million demonstrators, according to the authorities, and 3.5 million, according to the CGT union, and with the start of strikes that can be extended. The demonstrations aim to force the government to withdraw the bill that intends to push back the retirement age from 62 to 64 from 2030 and anticipate the contribution requirement for 43 years until 2027 (rather than 42, as is currently the case) to receive the full pension. After five major peaceful demonstrations in January and February, the unions decided to intensify their struggle in the face of the refusal of the Macron government and Prime Minister Elisabeth Born to reverse the measure. In this new phase, in addition to taking to the streets, important ports in Le Havre, Rouen and Marseille were temporarily closed and striking workers in the electricity sector continued to reduce electricity production. Trains have been canceled and public transport has been disrupted. Next week, a new demonstration is scheduled, and it will probably be on Wednesday, the 15th of this month.

French trade unionists march behind a banner reading “Pension reform, not another day” during a nationwide strike against pension reform │EFE / EPA / YOAN VALAT

Even in the face of discontent – according to opinion polls, two-thirds of the French people are against the change – the government has opted for a controversial parliamentary measure – a bill amending the Social Security Financing Act – which limits analysis time and makes it easier to apply the flat. Both houses of Parliament now have until March 26 to adopt the same text. Otherwise, the government could enforce the measure by decree of this date, which never happened. And the Senate (upper house), which is dominated by the pro-reform right-wing opposition, has until Sunday, the 12th, to vote on the measure. In the National Assembly (House of Representatives), the term expired without doing so. Next week, representatives of both houses should meet to come up with a common text, which Representatives and senators must talk about again or at least try to, perhaps on March 16.

* With information from AFP