Saving the spirit of the “yellow vests”.
For Lilian, Macron’s plan is “unusable” because the deficit in the pension system “is not as big as the government says it can be corrected in other ways” without raising the minimum retirement age.
Between chants salvaged from the ‘yellow vest’ era, the popular uprising that began in late 2018 and kept Macron at bay, unionists and students are determined to keep the pressure on the streets for as long as needed.
Among the demonstrators were pensioners like Éric, 63, who was protesting in Paris “in solidarity” with future generations.
“I think it’s time to blockade the country, which we should have done sooner. Unions have called for protests day after day. It has now been shown that this no longer works,” this former pre-school teacher told EFE.
Between chants rescued from the “Yellow Vest” days, unionists and students are determined to keep the pressure on the streets for as long as possible. (PHOTO: THOMAS SAMSON/AFP)
Éric alluded to the eight days of mobilization carried out so far this year, including street protests and sectoral strikes, some of which were indefinite, like the garbage strikes in Paris. However, the country was never paralyzed.
If the hardening of the strikes is yet to be seen, the opposition to Macron in the assembly has already shown their weapons. Both Marine Le Pen’s extreme right and the left have announced that they will shortly table their respective motions of no confidence in an attempt to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.
“Going back to 49-3 at the last minute is an extraordinary sign of weakness,” said Le Pen. “You have to go,” he added.