• Politics French government meets unions to unblock pension crisis fails

France celebrates on Thursday a new day of strikes and protests against the unpopular pension reform of Emmanuel Macron. It is the eleventh and takes place a day after the Government and unions met, without success, to try to resume dialogue to find a way out of the conflict.

The country's main cities have held protests, generally less massive than the previous ones, partly because in France it is a holiday on Friday and next Monday. The CGT has announced 400,000 demonstrators in Paris, down slightly from 450,000 last week, when a drop in turnout was already noted. In cities such as Marseille, Rennes or Nantes the mobilizations have also been somewhat weaker. Police have not yet shared their figures.

The demonstration in the capital has begun on the esplanade of Invalides at two in the afternoon and there have been incidents as the procession passed through the restaurant La Rotonde, where Macron celebrated his victory in 2017. It is an emblematic café frequented by Pablo Picasso. Some protesters have attacked him and set the awning on fire. In the final stretch we are also seeing moments of tension with the police.

The authorities had deployed 11,500 agents on Thursday in the face of the possibility of riots. In recent demonstrations there have been incidents, mainly clashes between officers and some demonstrators.

Despite the lower participation, the unions have reiterated their intention to continue with the mobilizations. On Wednesday they met with Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, although the meeting lasted less than an hour and the unions described it as a failure, because the Government does not want to touch a comma of the reform and the organizations have said that they will not sit down again to talk until the law is withdrawn.

The reform, which aims to delay the age of jubiation from 62 to 64 and opposed by seven out of 10 French people, was approved by decree, without going through the vote of Parliament, because Macron was not sure he had enough support in the Hemicycle.

The unions have not yet announced when the new day of mobilization will be, which would already be the twelfth, although next week will be key, since the Constitutional Council must decide whether to approve the reform. The unions and the opposition denounce that the procedure used to approve it (such as a financial law) is a legal shortcut and not valid.

  • France
  • Paris
  • Emmanuel Macron
  • Yellow vests
  • Europe
  • Articles Raquel Villaécija

According to The Trust Project criteria

Learn more