French President Emmanuel Macron has given a defiant defence of his decision to force through a rise in the pension age, in the face of protests across France and two no-confidence votes.
In an interview broadcast, Macron averred on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 that the pension bill needs to be implemented by the “end of the year,” sticking to his decision to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 despite mass protests.
Macron, said the bill will “continue its democratic path.”
It was the first time that Macron spoke publicly since his government forced the pension bill through parliament last week, prompting scattered protests in Paris and across the country, some degenerating into violence. His government survived two no-confidence votes at the lower chamber of parliament on Monday, March 22, 2023.
The 45-year-old President reiterated that he was convinced that France’s retirement system needed to be modified to keep it financed.
This reform is not a luxury, it is not fun, it’s a necessity for the country.”
Emmanuel Macron
The Constitutional Council needs to review the bill in the coming weeks, and it can only be turned into law after the body gives its approval.
Macron also condemned the violence at some protests. He notably referred to rioters storming the U.S. Capitol in 2021 and Brazil’s top government buildings earlier this year, as well as the yellow vest movement against social injustice in France in 2018 which led to violent clashes and vandalism in the Paris streets.
At the same time, Macron insisted that he respects unions and protests organized by opponents to show that they disagree with the pension plan, seeking to clarify that he considers they are legitimate, unlike troublemakers. “We must listen to them, listen to their anger and respond to it,” he said.
Macron acknowledged that a majority of the French are opposed to the reform.
“But between opinion polls and the general interest of the country, I’m choosing the general interest … And if it means bearing unpopularity afterwards, I will bear it.”
Emmanuel Macron
The French President also said that he “trusts” Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne to continue leading the government, suggesting that he is not planning a government reshuffle.
Protests Against New Retirement Age Continue
There have been six nights of demonstrations involving hundreds of arrests in a number of cities.
Early on Wednesday, dock workers in Marseille blocked access to the city’s commercial port, France’s biggest, preventing trucks and cars from entering amid a heavy police presence.
Garbage was still piling up on some Paris streets as sanitation workers entered their 17th day of strike. Authorities issued an order in recent days requiring some garbage employees to ensure a “minimum service” for health reasons.
Oil shipments in the country were partially disrupted amid strikes at several refineries in western and southern France. Gas stations in the country’s southeast region are currently the most affected by shortages.
In Rennes, in the western region of Brittany, clashes with police broke out on Wednesday at a protest initially called by fishermen angry at rising oil prices and an EU draft plan to ban heavy weighted nets that sweep the seabed.
The fishermen were joined by various groups of people protesting Macron’s pension bill and the demonstration turned into a broader show of anger, with some participants throwing objects and flares and setting fire to garbage and other articles. Police responded with tear gas and water cannons.
Unions have called for new nationwide protests and strikes on Thursday, March 23, 2023 to demand that the government simply withdraws the retirement bill. High-speed and regional trains, Paris metro and other public transportation in major cities were expected to be disrupted.
