In all regions of France, more than 7 rallies and marches were held on February 200 under the slogan “No to raising the retirement age.” In addition, railways, public transport in Paris and major cities, and workers in the energy industry and oil refining went on strike again.
The third general day of protest was timed to coincide with the beginning of consideration in parliament of an unpopular reform, which is opposed by the majority of the opposition, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
On January 19 and 31, from 1,1–1,3 million (according to police) to more than 2–2,5 million people (according to organizers’ estimates) took part in demonstrations against pension reform across the country.
All eight of France's leading trade unions, which have presented a united front against President Emmanuel Macron's reforms, say that the scale of the protest marches has become unprecedented in the last three decades.
Street protests had a comparable scale in 2010, when, during the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy, the French protested against raising the retirement age from 60 to 62 years.
On February 7, the third day of nationwide protest against the unpopular reform, trade unions again planned more than 200 rallies and marches across the country. The route of the country's main demonstration in Paris was laid from the famous Opera Garnier to the Place de la Bastille. In addition, mass strikes took place again in France.
Traditionally, French railway workers are in the forefront of the strikers. The strike again disrupted public transport in Paris and the capital region. Energy and oil workers joined the strike movement. A strike warning on February 7 was issued to French schools and government agencies.
In the National Assembly (lower house of parliament) of France, where President Macron does not have an absolute majority, almost all opposition parties strongly oppose the reform.
The first day of debate On February 6, the opposition began procedural battles by putting to a vote a resolution to reject the reform as a whole and to submit the issue of the retirement age to a referendum, but both proposals did not receive a majority of votes. 20 thousand amendments have been submitted to the text of the controversial bill in order to slow down the passage of the reform as much as possible.
The French government has taken an adamant position: reform is “necessary” to save the solidarity pension system from a structural deficit in the future, the main measure – raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 years – is “not subject to discussion”, there is no alternative to this – “either reform or bankruptcy” pension system.
Local commentators note that if Macron manages to push this decision through the National Assembly, it will be approved without problems in the Senate (upper house of parliament) of France, and the president of the country hands will be freed to make other unpopular decisions in the country - in particular, the supply of tanks and combat aircraft to Kyiv.