In France, President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reform comes into force today, after months of sometimes violent protests. No major demonstrations were announced to mark the start of the reform, which will gradually increase the retirement age from 62 to 64.
The unions formed a united front against the reform and organized mass protests with hundreds of thousands of participants. Demonstrations sometimes turned violent after the government approved the reform in parliament without a vote following a turbulent debate.
Weeks of protests and strikes
The protests were accompanied by strikes on railways and airports. No rubbish has been collected in parts of Paris for weeks. Macron justified the reform with an imminent financing deficit.
In fact, Macron put this delicate issue on the agenda in his first term. However, after the yellow vest protests, the CoV pandemic came and the reform was canceled for now. The president then announced a second attempt in the 2022 electoral campaign.