President Macron’s reform program is facing a moment, as French unions on Thursday marked a day of mass strikes and protests against his plans to push back the retirement age.
A new bill to be introduced in Parliament will raise the official age at which people can stop working from 62 to 64.
Intercity and commuter train services are expected to be adversely affected.
Many schools and other public services will remain closed. At Orly Airport in Paris, one in five flights is cancelled.
Only two driverless lines on the Paris Metro will operate as normal.
Thousands of protests are expected in Paris and other cities, where police will be out in force amid violence by infiltrators from the far-left “Black Bloc”.
Under proposals outlined by Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne earlier this month, from 2027 people will have to work 43 years to get a full pension, up from 42 now.
Hailed by the government as a key move to preserve France’s share-out pension system, the reforms are proving deeply unpopular with the public – 68% said they were opposed, this week. According to the IFOP survey.
All the country’s unions – including so-called “reformist” unions that the government had hoped to win over – have condemned the move, as has the left-wing and far-right opposition in the National Assembly. .
“The walls of the Elysée Palace will certainly shake on Thursday,” Communist Party leader Fabian Roussel said on Tuesday.
Because his Renaissance Party does not have a majority in the assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron will be forced to rely on the support of 60 or so MPs from the conservative Republican Party. Although in principle in favor of pension reform, even some of them have warned that they may vote against it.
With the parliamentary process expected to take several weeks, Mr Macron faces a rolling campaign from the opposition, with more action likely in the coming days. The worst outcome for the government would be strikes in transport, hospitals and fuel depots – effectively bringing the country to a standstill.
Political analysts agreed that it was difficult to gauge the mood of the country, so it was impossible to predict whether the scale of the movement would be enough to force the president to back down. If that happens, it could mark the end of any serious reforms in his second term.
On the one hand, news of inflation, energy crisis and continuous cuts in public services have made many people anxious and restless. President Macron’s poor image outside the prosperous cities contributed to the “yellow vest” uprising four years ago, and he may do so again.
But on the other hand, pollsters also indicate a sense of resignation among many, who no longer specialize in “old school” social movements such as unions. Many people will also be concerned about the loss of a day’s income. to go on strike.
The Prime Minister emphasized the principle of “inter-generational solidarity” to justify the decision to make people work longer hours. Under the French system, very few people have personal pension plans that are linked to investments.
Instead, the pension of the retirees is paid from the same common fund to which the workers are contributing every month. Workers know that they will benefit from the same treatment when they retire.
