Due to unrest in France, the British king’s visit scheduled for Sunday has been postponed indefinitely. A new day of protest against pension reform has been announced for Tuesday.
British King Charles III’s state visit to France has been postponed at short notice. The announcement was made by the Élysée Palace in Paris on Friday. The decision was taken after a phone call between Charles and French President Emmanuel Macron. The reason is the announcement of another day of protest against the pension reform on Tuesday. A new date for the visit has not yet been set. Charles is expected in Germany from March 29th.
The monarch was due to arrive in France on Sunday. It must be possible to receive Charles under the conditions that correspond to the friendly relationship, said the Élysée Palace. That probably wouldn’t have been the case – unions have called for new strikes and protests across the country for next Tuesday. There were already rumors in France that part of the visiting program could be adjusted due to the ongoing protests.
King Charles will still visit Germany
Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit to France has been postponed. No reason was given. “Their Majesties look forward to the opportunity to visit France once a date has been found,” the statement said. The state visit to Germany from Wednesday to Friday next week, on the other hand, will proceed as planned. This was announced on Friday by the Office of the Federal President in Berlin.
In France, the dispute over pension reform has been getting worse for a few days. Spontaneous protests result in nightly riots and violence. According to the Interior Ministry, more than a million people took part in a day of strikes and protests on Thursday. The CGT union spoke of 3.5 million participants. Trains and flights were cancelled, oil depots were blocked. More than 450 people were arrested during the unrest, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told CNews on Friday. Around 440 police and gendarmes were injured the day before and during the night.
Macron government wants to avoid imminent hole in pension fund
There have been demonstrations in France against pension reform since the beginning of the year. With the reform, the center government wants to avoid an imminent hole in the pension fund. The retirement age will be gradually raised from 62 to 64. Unions consider the project unfair and brutal. In fact, retirement starts later on average: those who haven’t paid enough time for a full pension work longer. At age 67, there will be no pension deductions regardless of length of contribution – the government wants to keep it, even as the number of years needed to pay the full pension increases more rapidly. He wants to increase the minimum monthly pension to around 1,200 euros.
Five reasons the French are angry
Strikes and demonstrations paralyzed France on Thursday. Despite the protests, President Macron maintains his pension reform. There are several explanations for the climb. An analysis.
>>> About the declaration of the Élysée Palace
(APA/Portal/dpa)