New mass protests against pension reform in France

EPA-EFE/GUILLAUME HORCAJUELO
A protestor lights flares as he participates in a demonstration against pension reforms in Marseille, France, 29 January 2020. Unions representing railway and transport workers and many others in the public sector have called for a consecutive general strike and demonstration to protest against French government's reform of the pension system.

- Advertisement -

Thousands of people took to the streets in France to protest against president Emanuel Macron’s prposed controversial pension reform plans.  Police used tear gas and batons against the protesters.
The Paris police chief criticized the “very aggressive” stance of some of the firefighters, who have also been protesting alongside the workers’ unions.
People gathered in Paris, Marseille, Nantes, Rennes, Toulouse and Bordeaux. Since December, the country has been torn by protests, as well as strikes organized by workers’ unions and by the Yellow Vest movement. The protests often turned violent.
The strikes began when Macron announced reforms that would simplify the existing pension system.Under the new rules, the worker will receive a lower pension if they were self-employed for a while, or had health issues that prevented them from working for some period.
Earlier this month, the government offered a compromise with workers’ unions, saying that it would “provisionally” withdraw plans to increase workers’ retirement age of 64, two years more the official retirement age. However, unions were not happy, as the offer only extends to those retiring in the next seven years, which means the “pivot age” system could still be implemented for people retiring after 2027.

- Advertisement -

Subscribe to our newsletter

Latest

The ruling of the EU Court on “Golden passports” and the consequences in Tirana

“Whatever the European Court decides," and “If it says...

Taking off: Qatar’s strategic rise in global aviation

For Qatar, an important development took place recently as...

False economy: Washington will regret closing important diplomatic posts

At this point many readers will have seen press...

The Geoeconomic Repercussions of Trump’s Tariff Pause: A Balkan Perspective

On April 2, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced...

Don't miss

The ruling of the EU Court on “Golden passports” and the consequences in Tirana

“Whatever the European Court decides," and “If it says...

Taking off: Qatar’s strategic rise in global aviation

For Qatar, an important development took place recently as...

False economy: Washington will regret closing important diplomatic posts

At this point many readers will have seen press...

The Geoeconomic Repercussions of Trump’s Tariff Pause: A Balkan Perspective

On April 2, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced...

Zeno’s Arrow and Albania’s membership in the EU

Recently, the position of the incoming German government coalition (government) between the CDU/CSU and SPD parties regarding the enlargement of the European Union into...

EU leaders in Kyiv back Ukraine, but Trump won’t blame Russia

On the three-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, European leaders travelled to Kyiv to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky and to declare their...

How French Neocolonialism converges with Iranian terrorism

France raised one billion euros "for the people of Lebanon," with a declared goal “to provide humanitarian aid." French President Emmanuel Macron even made...

Strategic Partnership or Strategic Risk? France’s Deepening Ties with Qatar

It has recently marked the half-year anniversary since France and Qatar announced a strategic partnership that will see the emirate invest €10 billion into...

Xi challenges a divided Europe

After the May 5-9 visit of President Xi Jinping to Europe most of the political analysts in Brussels who argued that the Chinese President's...

Pro-nuclear leaders push atomic energy to cut CO2 emissions, boost security of supply

A global push to expand nuclear power continued recently as world leaders from more than 30 countries and the European Union met at the...

France’s policies in Africa diminish its influence; inevitably opening the door to Russia & China

In a recent story titled "How Russia and China are trying to drive France out of Africa", what was not lost on the reader...

The end of Europe

The European Union is simply too big; it is composed of too many cultures and political perspectives; and, despite Brussels' claim that it values diversity over all other issues, this does not include a deviation from what it considers its own norms. As matters currently stand, the EU runs the risk of collapsing under its own weight.