French Workers Stage Mass Strike Over Macron’s Pension Plan

THEO VAN GOGH Top of the Agenda :

19-1-23 – Public transportation services were disrupted (FT) and many schools were expected to close as workers across France went on strike today to oppose President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to raise the country’s retirement age from sixty-two to sixty-four. Macron is pushing for lawmakers to approve the plan by the end of March. Its passage seems likely given support by the Republicans, a conservative party.However, 61 percent of people surveyed by Ipsos oppose the reform. Macron tried to reduce spending in France’s pension system during his first term but was met with protests in the winter of 2019–2020. He shelved the plan (France 24) due to COVID-19.
Analysis
“It remains to be seen whether France’s poorly unionized workforce—struggling with inflation, soaring energy bills and the aftermath of COVID-19—will stay the course for a sustained campaign of disruption,” Politico’s Paul Taylor writes.

“As is the case for [Republicans] and [other lawmakers], public opinion and the course of the strikes will determine the behaviour of those in Macron’s party,” the University of Nottingham’s Paul Smith tells France 24.