France braces for new strikes against Macron's pension 'reform'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
31 Jan 08:42
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Another wave of mass protests and strikes is expected over Paris's proposed pension overhauls.

Demonstrators march in Place de la Republique during a rally in Paris, as workers go on strike over the French President's plan to raise the legal retirement age from 62 to 64, January 19, 2023. (AFP)

The French government and its left-wing opponents traded the blame for the anticipated disruptions as France prepared for another day of widespread protests and strikes over President Emmanuel Macron's proposed pension reforms.

The biggest demonstrations since the last major round of pension reform under right-wing president Nicolas Sarkozy witnessed around 1.1 million people on the street last week, on January 19, according to official statistics.

In addition to strike disruptions to transport, schools, and other services, a police source told AFP that security forces were expecting similarly sized crowds on Tuesday in 240 demonstrations around the country.

The strikes represent a significant test for Macron as he seeks to put into practice a centerpiece policy of his second term in office, with unions predicting further stoppages.

The most controversial part of the proposed reform is hiking the minimum retirement age to 64 from 62.

The president stated in a statement on Monday that the reform was "essential when we compare ourselves to the rest of Europe".

However, a senior lawmaker from the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, Mathilde Panot, has accused the centrist president and his ministers of being responsible for the stoppages that are to cripple public transport and other services.

"They're the ones who want to wreak havoc on the country," she told BFM television, while also criticizing comments by Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin over the weekend as a "provocation."

On Saturday, a close Macron ally, Darmanin, said that left-wing political parties were only looking to "screw up the country" and were defending "idleness and champagne socialism."

What about Macron's credibility?

After including pension changes in his re-election manifesto last year, Macron now says that the future financing of the pension system, which is expected to go into deficit in the coming years, should be guaranteed.

Opponents claim that the system is currently balanced and that the head of the independent Pensions Advisory Council recently told parliament that "pensions spending is not out of control, it is relatively contained."

Analysts believe that failure to succeed with a signature proposal would severely undermine Macron's credibility for the remainder of his second and final term in office.

The government, led by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, has signaled wiggle room on some measures as parliamentary committees began reviewing the draft law on Monday.

Borne proposes that working conditions be improved for people who began working at a young age, mothers who interrupted their careers to care for children, and people who invested in further education. On the other hand, the headline age limit of 64 is "non-negotiable," she said on Sunday.

Laurent Berger, head of the CFDT union, warned that the government "cannot remain deaf to this formidable mobilization."

"Listen, listen, listen to this discontent," he told France 2 television.

Why is Macron struggling in parliament?

The majority of Paris metro and suburban rail services will be severely restricted on Tuesday, operator RATP said, while intercity travel will be disrupted with one in three high-speed TGV trains running, according to SNCF.

Air travel is less affected, with Air France stating that one in every ten short and medium-distance flights will be canceled, while long-distance flights will be unaffected. Only minor disruption is expected on international Thalys and Eurostar train services.

According to the main teachers' union, Snuipp-FSU, roughly half of all nursery and primary school teachers would go on strike. Macron and his allies are also facing struggles in parliament as well as on the street.

In an attempt to slow the draft legislation's passage through parliament, the left-wing opposition has submitted over 7,000 amendments.

Macron's centrist allies, short of an absolute majority in parliament, will need votes from conservatives to approve the pensions plan.