On Thursday, they proved immediately that the French are not tired of protesting: Immediately after the pension reform was passed, a demonstration formed on the historic Place de la Concorde, the riots of which lasted deep into the night and continued on Friday. The preliminary balance is over 300 arrests.
As expected, the Senate had previously given the green light to Macron’s campaign promise number one. In the National Assembly, however, failure became increasingly likely as support from conservative Republican (LR) camps crumbled. Macron’s Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne therefore had the reform pushed through at the last minute by means of Article 49.3 without a vote. This is not uncommon, but comes with a high political price: the government must take responsibility for the law, which amounts to a vote of confidence.
This has already been announced by the right-wing Rassemblement National and Marine Le Pen and by the left-wing populist party France Insoumise. However, it is considered unlikely that the government will be overthrown. Republican President Eric Ciotti has said his group will not support a motion of no confidence. If Macron’s plan works, the reform will be over. The only thing left for the French to do again is take to the streets.
Working up to 64 years
The reform provides for what has long been normal in other European countries or even exceeds France’s plans by far: the retirement age is to rise from 62 to 64 years. In fact, retirement begins later on average anyway: those who have not paid in long enough for a full pension work longer.
The number of payment years required for a full pension is expected to increase more quickly in the future, and the minimum monthly pension will also rise to around EUR 1,200. For comparison: In neighboring Spain, the starting age has been gradually increasing since 2013 and is expected to be 67 by 2027. In Germany, an entry age of 70 is repeatedly debated.
Prime Minister Borne had to defend the plan on television on Thursday after being booed and shouted down in the National Assembly. When drafting the reform, exceptions were made for people with strenuous jobs and an early career start, and low pensions would be raised. “Four out of ten French people don’t have to work until they are 64,” says Borne.
Remembering “Yellow Vests”
However, commentators explain the fact that the topic is met with such great potential for anger in France mainly with its symbolic character: the pension itself has a high status as a social achievement in France, and an attack on it is considered an attack on the culture of life.
Q: Violent protests against pension reform
The French government pushed through the pension reform without a majority in parliament. The result was violent protests with arrests and motions of no confidence in President Macron.
Macron had refrained from promoting the reform in the past few weeks and sent Borne ahead. The fact that he is now implementing his prestige project with a crowbar confirms for many critics once again the image of the “president of the rich”, with which he has been fighting since he took office. Macron hit rock bottom in this regard during the “yellow vest” movement, which kept France in suspense for almost a year.
It ignited in autumn 2018 with a planned increase in fuel prices, culminated in seemingly endless riots with several fatalities and the strengthening of the right. The government then stopped the increase in the face of the unexpected wave of anger.
The right benefits
In view of inflation of over seven percent in France, the energy crisis and the announcement by the powerful trade unions that they will continue to strike, a similar scenario is now also conceivable. The strikes are already permanently canceling flights and trains, and several cities – including Paris – are sinking in mountains of rubbish. Garbage collectors were even put on duty by the police prefect to begin removing around 9,000 tons of garbage from the streets of Paris. On March 23, France is to be mobilized with a new wave of strikes and protests.
The right-wing Rassemblement is already benefiting from anger over Macron’s reform: Le Pen has made the party, the largest opposition faction, adopt a more moderate stance in recent years. The Rassemblement is rising steadily in the polls, and the pension reform helped. Le Pen’s goal is clearly the Elysee Palace.
The next presidential election is in 2027 and Le Pen could be running for the fourth time. Then, however, without opponent Macron. After two terms in office, he is no longer allowed to stand – another reason why Macron pushed through the pension reform by hook or by crook: He no longer has to convince voters.
