Imposition of pension reform in France fuels protests

Protests against pension reform in France continue this Friday (17). Conflicts intensified after the government unilaterally decided to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 years. For this, President Emmanuel Macron used Article 49.3 of the Constitution to impose a law without the approval of Parliament.

The decision, communicated on Thursday (16), caused more people to take to the streets to protest. At least 310 French people were arrested in the protests. It is estimated that there are demonstrations in more than 24 cities in the country, with a main focus on the capital, Paris.

A survey commissioned by RTL radio for the agency Toluna/Harris Interactive showed that 65% of French people support the strikes and that eight out of ten people are dissatisfied with the decision imposed by Macron.

Since the end of January, the country has entered into this debate and social movements have organized several days of strikes and stoppages. The collectors’ and truck drivers’ strikes are the main ones, which has caused accumulation of garbage in urban centers and shortages.

The weekend should also be marked by clashes. The French newspapers Libération and Le Monde condemned the president’s decision and pointed to the government’s failure. Right-wing Le Figaro, on the other hand, indicates that the opposition is organizing to try to overthrow him.

Everything, of course, will depend on the adhesion of the streets that have already vehemently demonstrated that they do not agree with the increase in the minimum age, even more so with the rule being imposed.

In time: In Brazil, disregarding transition rules, for urban workers the minimum age for women to retire is 62 years and men 65 years. The rule was approved in the 2019 Social Security reform (PEC 6/2019).

*With agency information