The pension reform approved on Monday has lit France up in massive and violent protests. Macron, however, is adamant in his decision.
The city hall of Bordeaux, one of France’s biggest cities, was burned on Thursday as nation-wide protests mounted. The people took the street after the controversial pension reform was conclusively approved by the National Assembly on Monday.
The pension reform extends the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 years old. It was one of president Emmanuel Macron’s priorities when running for a second term last year. Macron won the elections, though losing the majority in the National Assembly, and insisted on bringing the reform forward.
But the French people protested the reform en masse, essentially blocking the country in a standstill for months. But Macron did not budge: he believed that increasing retirement age was a necessity and was willing to face the entire French population.
The reform passed the Senate easily, being the only remaining chamber of Parliament fully loyal to Macron. The second chamber, the National Assembly, was however a much tougher obstacle.
Macron and the head of government Elisabeth Borne decided to defy the will of the people by approving the reform without the National Assembly approval. They used a powerful constitutional tool that essentially forced the National Assembly to put a vote of no confidence on the reform.
On Monday, the vote took place and Elisabeth Borne was confirmed prime minister, hence passing the overall pension bill altogether.
This, however, has not stopped the French people from expressing their opinion.
General protests and Macron’s speech
On the night of Monday’s vote, countless French people across the country’s major cities took the street. Images of chaos, fires and clashes ran over every social network.
Realizing the situation might not be under control, Emmanuel Macron arranged a speech for Wednesday. There, he clearly stated that his position and duty did not allow him to follow the will of the people. No matter how unpopular the measure was, Macron argued it was necessary.
The speech added kerosene to the fire. More protests were organized, more violent clashes occurred.
Yesterday, Bordeaux’s city hall was lit on fire, though it was soon put down by firefighters. In Paris, protests alternated between peaceful demonstrations and police engagements.
More general strikes of TGVs, planes and other public services have been issued for the coming weeks.
Most of the protesters interviewed said they believed their democratic right had been betrayed. "I oppose this reform and I really oppose the fact that democracy no longer means anything," a demonstrator said. "We’re not being represented, and so we’re fed up.”
Macron’s hope is that these protests will eventually wear down, similarly to how the Jilet Jaunes of his first term stopped. For the moment, however, the French people will tear up streets and public buildings, trying to make their voice heard.
