In France, there is a fresh wave of anger against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension and retirement reform plans. He signed the reform into law last month, despite weeks of protests and strikes.
Hundreds of thousands joined the traditional Mayday demonstrations on 1st May to condemn the plans which would see the minimum retirement age raised by two years to the age of 64. The country’s interior minister says that more than 100 police officers were injured in clashes with protesters nationwide. The Paris Police informed that around 1,12,000 people took part in the protest in the French capital.
Much of the frustration is directed toward President Emmanuel Macron who says the reform is needed to keep the pension system financially viable. But the French leader’s approval ratings have plummeted and there has never been such a swift drop in the French President’s popularity. This is seen as problematic because he has four years left in power and it will be complicated for him to pass any new reforms.
The pension law is not moving ahead and a mobilization like this could be this movement’s last resort after multiple nationwide strikes. Parisians say they’ll keep up the pressure and the fallout from this political battle may be felt for years to come.
There’s a statue on which the protesters have decked it out with a T-shirt that says the words ‘Macron Demission’ which means Macron resign. This was the message from many people who turned out to march. The French Prime Minister has slammed the violence by these protests as unacceptable.
May 1st (May Day) is a traditional day for workers, usually, it is a sort of celebration of workers’ rights but it wasn’t so much of a festive mood in France. Instead, there was a lot of frustration and bigger political questions looming over the whole affair.
Opposition to France’s PM
President Macron doesn’t have to run for re-election. He’s in his second and final term but he has got another four years. During the election, he did advertise it as one of his missions to reform this labyrinth theme pension system. He said France’s population is aging and that there are other countries in Europe where the pension age is already higher than 64. But all his arguments have proved entirely unpopular.
The head of the populist National Rally party, Marine Le Pen accused Mr Macron to be a proponent of street violence. She added that Macron wanted to put the country on the march, and therefore he broke it down. According to her rarely has a president been so disconnected, so lonely, so besieged, but still so arrogant.
The opposition’s latest attempt to hold a popular referendum on the pension reform will be reviewed by France’s Constitutional Council on May 3rd. On Tuesday, French trade unions declared June 6 to be a new day of protest against President Emmanuel Macron’s choice. It certainly is a tricky time for President Macron and it would be seen what would his response be to this protest.
Sources: Reuters; The Statesman
