Macron says he is aware of the concerns of many of his compatriots

France is preparing for political and social storms during January

• The French government may not be able to respond to the protesters' demands.

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• Macron is forced to take difficult steps that are not supported by the French.

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French President Emmanuel Macron, during his greetings to the French people on the occasion of the New Year, embarked on a new phase that may be wracked by political and social unrest.

The 45-year-old French head of state said in his speech from the Elysee Palace that he was aware of the concerns of many of his compatriots in light of the high food prices, the war in Ukraine and the spread of a new wave of "Covid-19".

But he pledged to move forward, starting this month, with a reform aimed at raising the retirement age, an unpopular project that many, even in the president's camp, consider inappropriate in the current situation.

"As I committed to before you, this year will indeed be the year of reforming the retirement system with the aim of ensuring balance in our system for the coming years and decades," the centrist president said, calling on the French to "work further."

This week continued unsuccessful talks, moderated by the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Bourne, in an effort to persuade the French unions.

But the government and its opponents prepared for battle.

It seems that the proposals made to mitigate the changes, such as raising the retirement age to 64 or 65 years, as was initially planned, had no effect either on the citizens or on the unions that closed ranks to oppose this project.

"I say it here, and I have already said it to the Prime Minister, if the legal retirement age will be raised to 64 or 65 years ... we will close ranks to object to this reform," said Laurent Berger, a senior official in the French Democratic Labor Union, CFDT, after leaving a meeting with Bourne.

All left-wing parties, as well as the far-right "National Rally" party, object to the government's plans and have pledged to join the demonstrations.

ignite mode

And the founder of the “France of the Fatherland” party (the radical left), Jean-Luc Melenchon, warned last Saturday in a tweet that “the situation will get hot in January.”

"It is no secret to anyone that the situation will become turbulent," Stéphane Traver, a deputy from the presidential party, told Le Parisien newspaper.

The legal retirement age in France, which is 62 years, is lower than that prevailing in other European countries, such as Germany and Britain, where it was set at 66 or 67 years.

Official figures show a balanced retirement system in the short term in France, but it may witness a large deficit in the coming decades in light of the aging population.

Emmanuel Macron has always advocated the principle of restructuring the system, but in light of the "Covid-19" crisis and demonstrations that were among the broadest during his first term, he decided to postpone a first attempt in 2020.

And after his re-election in 2022 based on a program that includes reforming the pension system, he hesitated a lot about the timing of this step.

The centrist politician, François Bayrou, who is considered one of the president's closest allies, said in December, "We did not make the necessary awareness effort together."

But now the French president must clarify his agenda, in a move that could damage his reputation and his ability to promote other reforms.

It is expected that the outlines of the text on the pension system will be revealed, and that a bill will be presented to Parliament in February.

Some fear a new popular outburst, similar to the one that erupted spontaneously in the streets in 2018 when known as the "yellow vests".

"The signs are there, and a spark is enough to ignite the situation," said Frederic Dabi, director of the polling institute "Ifpop", this week via "Europe 1".

A group of "yellow vests" called for demonstrations.

Not sustainable

But predicting the mood of the French is not an easy matter. France, like many other European countries, has witnessed strikes in recent months, in the railways, hospitals and oil refineries, amid demands for higher wages to compensate for inflation in the range of 6%.

However, the majority of people polled said they considered the current pension system unsustainable.

And one of the president's advisers, who asked not to be identified, had acknowledged a short time ago in statements to Agence France-Presse, "There is a kind of fatalism in public opinion," adding, "We will go to the end, and public opinion understands that."

For her part, Adelaide Zolfgarpassek, Director General of the BVA France polling institute, considered that public opinion has become “tired and agitated” after a series of crises, without being able to know whether this agitation “will lead to major social movements, or rather to a kind of acquiescence.”

However, what can be confirmed is that “the year 2023 will be fraught with dangers for the president,” according to Zulfkarbasik.

• Macron pledged to move forward, starting this month, with a reform aimed at raising the retirement age, an unpopular project that many, even in the president's camp, consider inappropriate in the current situation.

• France, like many other European countries, has witnessed strikes in recent months, in the sectors of railways, hospitals and oil refineries, amid demands for higher wages to compensate for inflation in the range of 6%.

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