New day of strikes and mobilizations in France against the pension reform

Cities throughout France have been practically paralyzed this Tuesday in a new national protest against the pension reforms planned by the Government of Emmanuel Macron.

the president wants delaying the retirement age from 62 to 64, in the face of strong opposition from unions and left-wing parties. The Élysée also plans to bring forward to 2027 the extension to 43 years —currently there are 42— of the contribution period necessary to collect a full pension.

On the street, Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of unsubdued France, summed up the meaning of the day in a few words: “It is a kind of citizen uprising”, said Melenchon. “People who protest against the fact that they want to take away this simple thing: the right to lead a human existence and, therefore, to stop working after a certain age. Because the body, the mind, the nerves, everything is Exhausted”.

From early in the day, getting around by public transport has been quite an odyssey, with the different options reduced to a minimum service. The strikes, however, and according to the surveys, have broad citizen support.

“I can’t participate in the demonstration, but I am with them, totally!” said a young man. “In all matters. I have heard that it is not the same for women.”

“I think we are being asked to make an effort and so on, but what about the government? Are they making an effort? Are they doing the same? I don’t think so, I don’t think so at all,” lamented another citizen.

Those who would be most affected by the proposed changes, young people, have also been part of these mobilizations. The unions assure that the movement has spread to more sectors than ever.

Of course, the deployment of the authorities has also been noted, with more than 10,000 agents on the streets, 4,000 of them only in Paris, to try to maintain order in the nearly 240 mobilizations called throughout the country.

And that’s not all. The organizers promise more days of protests over the coming weeks. From the Élysée, meanwhile, they accept some minor amendments, if They make it clear that the main issue, the retirement age, is not debatable.

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