It’s not enough that African leaders now oppose French troops who are said to be fighting terrorism, or that fear of the far right and divisions on the left is keeping him in power: Emmanuel Macron continues to rule in a way he just left went against the will of millions of French workers by decreeing the extension of the retirement age, living up to his nickname “president of the super-rich”.
This keeps him in power, controlling the financial power, the judiciary and the police chiefs, who do not stop repressing about three million people who are on the streets of the country’s main cities, with destruction, fires, injuries and arrests of hundreds.
Macron trusts his luck, like a cat that, despite being thrown from everywhere, always lands on its feet.
His renewed endorsement of reform of France’s pension system has further inflamed sentiment in a country where a majority of the working class opposes raising the retirement age.
For this, Macron used his Prime Minister Elizabeth Borne to present a reform project, according to which the authorities of the European country from 1
Another factor that has led to social discontent is that the contribution period required to receive a full pension will increase at a rate from 42 years (168 quarters) to 43 years (172 quarters) from now to 2027 by a quarter per anus will rise .
In addition, the retirement privileges enjoyed by some public sector workers, such as those employed by the Paris Metro or Electrocuté de France, would be abolished.
President Emmanuel Macron and his government reiterate that the reform of the pension system is necessary because of “the aging of the population”, fearing that in the future there will not be enough active workers to pay pensioners’ pensions. According to the French authorities, the restructuring of the system will make it possible to avoid this imbalance and thus maintain the so-called welfare state.
However, much of the population, especially the working class, distrusts the official position. Since last January, millions of people in different regions of France have mobilized to express their opposition to the reform, which today takes extreme violence after three weeks of demonstrations by energy, transport, construction, service and cleaning workers. , metallurgy, education and refineries, and student groups from high school to university level.
In fact, it was the youngest who carried signs reading: “Raise wages, not retirement age,” “Live better: no retirement at 64,” and “I want to retire before I get cancer.”
The workers’ federations and the unions – along with the left and the far right main opponents of the reform – assert that the adjustments to the pension system will affect three types of people:
Those who started work earlier earn less and have jobs that are associated with greater physical or mental exhaustion. In short: a heavy blow for the vaunted functionary of “France’s welfare state” – contrary to what Macron says.
DISAPPEARED
Fully backed by those who have most, the President doesn’t give a damn about maneuvering to avoid any possible obstacle to his claim.
Therefore, in order to avoid legislative discussions and save time, he used a power provided for in Article 49.3 of the Constitution to force approval of the project without having to go through the vote of MPs.
Article 49.3 of the Constitution provides that: “The Prime Minister, after consultation with the Council of Ministers, may delegate the responsibility of the Government to the National Assembly for voting on any bill relating to the financing of finance or social security. In this case, this bill shall be deemed to have been passed unless a motion of censure, presented within the next twenty-four hours under the conditions set out in the preceding paragraph, is approved. The Prime Minister may also use this procedure for another bill or one bill per session”.
After Macron’s decree – by which, I stress, the President bypassed the approval of the legislature – the protests have increased in intensity and violence.
The use of the power provided for in Article 49.3 could in turn lead to a hardening of the protest movement in the streets, but also to a motion of no confidence from parliamentarians.
In this way, the legislature could stop the reform and lose the executive due to the current composition of the French parliament.
MPs in the presidential coalition have a relative majority, and MPs from the extreme left to the extreme right would have to agree to defeat the government.
The political opponent and leader of the extreme right, Marine Le Pen, has announced that she intends to table a motion of no confidence in Macron.
“We hope that those who wanted to vote against this pension reform will vote for this motion of no confidence. For our part, we will make a motion and we will vote in favor of all motions of no confidence put forward.” He added, clarifying that the use of 49.3 is “an admission of the total failure of Emmanuel Macron” as well as an “extraordinary admission of weakness” by the government.
Almost all trade unions in the country have spoken out against it and have called for strikes and demonstrations against the reform. In two months, eight general strikes and hundreds of demonstrations organized by unions were called in France.
According to polls, 68% of the French are against Macron’s reform. Lawmakers on the left and the extreme right are firmly opposed. The Conservatives are divided.
Since last March 13, tons of rubbish have accumulated on the streets of Paris as a result of the cleaners’ strike.
SUCCESSFUL REVIEW
The protesters are calling for the retirement age to be set at 60 and are skeptical of statements by the authorities on the need for such a reform, which mimic the lack of budgetary funds to pay pensions.
They say France must distribute wealth more fairly, tax superprofits and stop increasing the military budget.
They have also denounced the government’s legal shortcuts to enforce the law as a “denial of democracy.”
Logic suggests that Macron’s “decree” will be overturned, but anything bad can happen in France with the president of the super-rich.