While President Emmanuel Macron fulfilled an agenda in Barcelona, signing a treaty of cooperation and friendship with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, thousands of protesters took to the streets of more than 200 cities in France this Thursday (19), in a general strike called against his pension reform proposal.
Announced on the last 10th by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, the restructuring wants to increase the minimum age for retirement, from 62 to 64 years, until 2030 and extend the years of contribution, from 42 to 43 years, already in 2027 to have access to full pension.
Articulated by the eight largest trade union centrals in the country, united for the first time in 12 years, the general strike achieved large mobilizations even outside the capital. Adding Paris to cities like Lyon, Toulouse, Marseille, Rennes and Bordeaux, a total of 1.1 million people took to the streets, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
For the General Confederation of Workers (CGT), however, the membership was around 2 million people —which would make the movement overcome the stoppage of December 2019, when Macron, in his first term, presented for the first time a renovation project.
In Paris, where the CGT estimated 400,000 demonstrators, the march ended amid clashes with the police, who threw tear gas bombs and arrested about 30 people.
A new day of mobilization was scheduled by the inter-union group for January 31, prolonging the pressure on the president, re-elected in 2022 and already worn out by high inflation and the loss of majority in Parliament. Betting on a strategy to increase Macron’s tension and political weariness, the ultra-left party França Insubmissa called an event for this Saturday (21st), in Paris.
“It is good and legitimate that all opinions can be expressed,” Macron declared in Spain. “I have confidence in the organizers of the demonstrations so that this legitimate expression of disagreement can be made without creating too many inconveniences for our compatriots as a whole, without exaggeration, without violence and without degradation.”
The reform, according to the centrist leader, was “democratically presented and validated” during the electoral campaign that gave him a second term. Despite the demonstrations, he said, “it is necessary to carry out the reform”, insisting that the text is “fair and responsible” and that the process will take place “with respect and a spirit of dialogue, but with determination and a spirit of responsibility”.
Borne praised on Twitter “the commitment of the police forces, as well as the unions” in this Thursday’s protests. “Allowing opinions to be expressed is essential for democracy. We will continue to debate and convince.” Other cabinet members, including Gérald Darmanin (Interior), repeated the speech in defense of freedom of demonstration.
“It is normal that the issue of pensions raise concerns that need to be answered”, said Olivier Dussopt (Labor).
On the opposition side, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, from France Insubmissa, stated in Marseille that the task of “convincing people [sobre a reforma] it’s already a losing battle” for the government. According to him, “the reform makes no sense”.
On a day that promised to be one of chaos, the education, transport and energy sectors were the most affected by this Thursday’s strike. In a data battle, the unions presented superlative numbers of adhesion to the strike of education workers (65%), when compared to those presented by the ministry (no more than 42%).
In transport, the strike forced the cancellation of most train travel in the country, including international connections, according to SNCF, the national railway company. The flow of subways and buses in large cities also suffered significant reductions, generating turbulence in Paris, where air transport, less affected, had about 20% of flights canceled at Orly airport.
Power strikers have threatened to cut electricity supplies to some regions but backed off, according to Philippe Martinez, the CGT’s general secretary. The leader of the Republicans (LR) in the Senate, Bruno Retailleau, denounced the case as using “illegal methods, which go beyond the rule of law”, and called for sanctions.
The Macron-Borne duo’s pension reform proposal should be formally presented to the council of ministers on the 23rd, to then proceed to the National Assembly, where the French president hopes to obtain the support of the Republicans to approve the text in the first quarter.
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
