In 2019, protests erupted in France after President Emmanuel Macron adopted a controversial pension reform plan without a vote in parliament. Demonstrators blocked roads, including the Paris ring road, and increased industrial action at oil refineries. The Macron government enforced the pension adjustment by decree, bypassing the French parliament, leading to violent riots in cities across the nation. Hundreds of individuals were arrested, and the situation remained tense for several weeks.
In December 2019, French was hit by a wave of strikes and protests following President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to reform the country’s pension system. The proposed changes aimed to unify the existing 42 pension schemes into a single, points-based system. However, critics argued that the reforms would lead to reduced benefits and an increase in the retirement age.
The strikes and protests, which were led by unions and other groups, caused significant disruptions across the country. Many transportation services, including trains and subways, were shut down, leading to long lines and traffic jams on the roads. Protesters also blocked major highways and bridges, causing further traffic disruptions.
The protests continued for weeks, with some turning violent. Police and protesters clashed in several cities, leading to injuries and arrests. The government eventually made some concessions to the protesters, but stopped short of completely abandoning the pension reform.
The strikes and protests had a significant impact on daily life in France, with many workers forced to find alternative means of transportation or unable to work at all. The protests also had a negative impact on the French economy, with some estimates suggesting that the country lost billions of euros due to the disruptions.
The pension reform remains a contentious issue in France, with tensions between the government and unions still running high.
Protests in French continue over President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reform plan
Protests in France continue over President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reform plan, which aims to create a universal points-based pension system. The reform has been met with opposition from trade unions, who fear that it will lead to a rise in the retirement age and a reduction in pensions.
Protesters have taken to the streets, staging demonstrations, blockading roads, and increasing industrial action at oil refineries. The Macron government has attempted to enforce the pension adjustment by decree, bypassing the French parliament, which has sparked further anger from protesters.
The protests have led to violent clashes with police and numerous arrests. The situation remains tense, and it is unclear how long the protests will continue. Macron has refused to back down on the reform, insisting that it is necessary to create a fairer and more sustainable pension system for all French citizens. However, the opposition is unlikely to relent, and the protests are expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
Protesters in French are continuing to show their displeasure with President Emmanuel Macron and his administration after they adopted a controversial pension reform plan without a vote in parliament, this time by blocking a key highway around the capital and increasing industrial action at oil refineries.
On Friday morning, local media reported that hundreds of protestors stopped traffic on the Paris ring road in opposition to President Macron’s controversial pension reform, which had sparked widespread demonstrations and led to hundreds of arrests overnight.
The media reportedly reported damage in Paris, including a charred automobile, a store window damaged, and a burnt-out public bicycle.CGT union leader Eric Sellini said on Friday that strikers were still delivering less gasoline than usual from many other facilities, and that employees were planning to suspend production at a big refinery by the weekend or Monday at the latest.
TotalEnergies de Normandie workers have previously been on a rolling strike, but stopping production would exacerbate the industrial action.On Thursday afternoon, the Macron government used a contentious constitutional provision to enforce the pension adjustment by decree, bypassing the French parliament in the process. As a result, 310 individuals were arrested throughout French, including 258 in the capital city of Paris, and there were violent riots in cities around the nation.
In France, tensions are rising after a pension proposal was passed without a referendum.
French pension plan is adopted without a vote, and the public is fuming.
Thousands of protesters gathered in front of the French parliament to demonstrate against President Emmanuel Macron, and the police had to intervene to clear the plaza.
Monoprix worker and CGT union member Soumaya Gentet, 51, expressed her outrage to the media and vowed to keep protesting until the measure was rescinded.
What the people desire isn’t being considered, Gentet said.
“Macron doesn’t give a fig about the people,” remarked his colleague, Lamia Kerrouzi. “He is unable to communicate with the locals because of this. Removing it is necessary.”
Macron is proposing legislation that would increase the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64, arguing that doing so is necessary to prevent the collapse of the public pension system.
Estimates from the Labor Ministry suggest that if the retirement age was raised by two years and the pay-in period was extended, an extra 17.7 billion euros ($19.18 billion) would be added to the system annually, enabling it to become self-sustaining by 2027.
Two-thirds of French citizens, according to surveys, are against the change and in favour of a protest movement organised by labour unions, which has united in its opposition and warned it would continue to mobilise. The reform’s detractors say it would hurt the middle class and make those who got their start in physical labour when they were younger work for longer hours. During the last six weeks, strikes have shut down trains, schools, public services, and ports.
