A risky bet. [111], On 21 March, Macron announced he does not intend to dissolve the National Assembly for new elections, reshuffle the government, or call a referendum for "a reform he considers necessary for the survival of the system",[120] nor intends to withdraw the reforms. [69], In the afternoon, protesters gathered at the Esplanade des Invalides,[70] with "loud music and huge union balloons". "[137], The Independent reported that a "video on social media showed several trucks dumping tyres, rubbish and manure in front of council offices in several locations", and "[h]ighways were blocked with barriers of burning wood and tyres as protesters raised slogans". [8] The New York Times add that in order "[t]o keep the system financially viable without funneling more taxpayer money into it something the government already does Macron sought to gradually raise the legal age when workers can start collecting a pension by three months every year until it reaches 64 in 2030." [27], The debate began at 4pm in the National Assembly, with opposition MPs "booing and jeering [the Prime Minister] when she took to the podium". [150] Prior to the ruling being made public, French Prime Minister lisabeth Borne had said that the proposal was "nearing the end of its democratic process," and said there were "no winners or losers." Hours before the main protest began in the Place d'Italie in central Paris, thousands of marchers turned out in Toulouse, Marseille and Nice in the south, and Saint Nazaire, Nantes and Rennes in the west. Trade unions "say the reform will penalise low-income people in manual jobs who tend to start their careers early, forcing them to work longer than graduates, who are less affected by the changes. As of 15 March, "bin lorries [were] grounded at depots and at least three waste incinerators in the Paris area [were] at a standstill". Prime Minister Borne declined formal mediation, but agreed to talks with eight leading union leaders the following week, when an eleventh day of protest was planned. France has seen a second wave of protests and strikes against President Emmanuel Macron's plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. In total, over 2,000,000 strikers participated in demonstrations according to the CGT, while the police estimate that around 757,000 strikers participated in protests. France, UK, and EU State Pensions for Expats: Where to Claim Your Before the Constitutional Council's decision, Macron invited labour unions to meet with him. [173], Hospital workers protested in front of Carlton Cannes Hotel on 19 May, violating the ban on protests throughout most of the city. The main demonstration route is full- they're now filing onto every side street", "CGT Union says more than 800,000 protesters have taken to the streets of Paris- the most significant action against Macron since the start of this crisis", "French networks saying 14 people have been arrested so far", "Protesters Block Train Tracks in Tours on Day of French Strikes", "France strikes: police station and courthouse attacked in pension protest", "Bordeaux town hall set on fire in France pension protests", "149 police officers have been injured in Paris tonight. [140] At around 2:40pm GMT, journalist Lewis Goodall claimed that "[t]he main demonstration route [in Paris] is full [and so] they're now filing onto every side street". Fabrice Coudour, a leading representative for the 'hard-left' CGT, commented that "tougher action ahead, more serious and further-reaching" was possible that could "escape our collective decision-making". A reporter claimed that police are deploying tear gas to push back the crowds, but it was ineffective due to the large number of people attending the protest. [98], On 19 March, The Guardian reported that alongside the leader of the Republicans' office being vandalised other MPs from the party were "receiving hundreds of threatening emails a day". Clashes erupted in Paris on Monday marking May 1, a traditional day of union-led marches, in the wake of hugely unpopular changes to France's pension system that were signed into law last month . [85], Later, a bonfire was lit,[82] with police armed with shields and batons deploying tear gas in an attempt to clear the square[74] at around 8pm. [152][153], On 14 April, the Constitutional Council delivered its verdict on the pension bill, declaring it to be compatible with the Constitution. Known as the Motos Brav-M, it is a "controversial police unit", as "some have accused [them] of using excessive force". A "couple" of rubbish bins were set alight, with the gathered protesters chanting "This will blow up". "[180], Waste collection strikes also affected Antibes, Rennes, and Le Havre. Furthermore, she "expressed the government's 'solidarity'" towards the 400 police officers who were injured in recent days, with 42 alone overnight. They were "booed and hissed" at as they "passed further away down Boulevard de l'Opra". [62], According to the CGT union, 2.8 million people took part in the protests while the Ministry of Internal Affairs counted 1.272 million protesters. [122], Reuters quoted Eurointelligence analysts, who said Macron has two choices: "[p]retending that nothing major happened and letting the crisis wear itself out, or pursuing co-habitation with the willing in the assembly. [100], 39% of TotalEnergie workers were on strike. The French government's plans to raise the retirement age to 64 from 62, which has led to widespread protests, moved . And if the protests turn violent, things change too. Economist Prof Philippe Aghion said the reforms were necessary because France had a structural deficit of some 13bn ($14bn; 11bn) and raising the retirement age would also help increase the rate of employment in France. [114] The Republicans' leader has announced his intention not to support either motion, but The Times reported some LR MPs may defy him. PARIS, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Public transport, schools and refinery supplies in France were disrupted on Tuesday as trade unions led a third wave of nationwide strikes against President Emmanuel. [125], At lunchtime, Macron gave a televised interview, questioned by journalists from TF1 and France 2. As a part of the protest, union members blocked fuel deliveries from being made, with the intention of bringing the French economy to its knees. French workers marched across the country on Monday, as the annual May Day demonstrations in France coincided with smoldering anger over an unpopular pension overhaul that President . Transport Minister Clment Beaune said "there would be disruption to public transport and flights, but it was unlikely to be a "Black Wednesday"", with "not the same level of disruptions as with previous mobilisations". [101] In Marseille, a large bonfire was lit, with a large throng of demonstrators dancing around it. The issue of pension reforms has been dealt with by various French governments over recent decades, specifically to tackle budget shortfalls. [73] Strikers of the CGT union "voted to halt production at one of the country's largest refineries by this weekend or Monday at the latest", having "already been on a rolling strike at the northern site TotalEnergies de Normandie, and halting production would escalate the industrial action and spark fears of fuel shortages", with striking workers continuing to "deliver less fuel than normal from several other sites". AFP was told by a senior police source that instructions have not been given to conduct mass arrests, adding "when high-risk profiles are arrested, they are no longer agitating others"; another officer added that with such a high number of arrests, the "manoeuvre is risky", as they "expose the workforce, monopolise officers" and "risk radicalising the demonstrators". High school pupils staged protests outside some schools and students said they would occupy Sciences Po university in Paris in support of the strikers. This pension is paid by the CNAV, the Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Vieillesse, the French social security organization that manages the basic pension; or by the MSA, the agricultural social security, when the elderly person depends on the agricultural system. [31], There were black bloc groups at the front of the demonstrations in Paris, Lyon, and Nantes on May 1. Interior Minister Grald Darmanin said that "strikers were being forced back under emergency powers designed to safeguard essential services", and from the morning of 17 March told RTL radio that "requisitioning is working and bins are being emptied", although this was disputed by an aide of Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo. . Because each party tends to only vote for their own motions and against those of others, on only one occasion, in 1962, where the Article has been triggered, the government lost a subsequent no-confidence motion. President Emmanuel Macron pushed through legislation to raise the retirement age for most workers to 64 from 62 without a vote of lawmakers in the National Assembly on Thursday, a decision that. The Week said that "Macron and his government insist the reforms are needed to keep the pension system solvent and government borrowing acceptably low". France 24 reported that a poll from a few days prior to the move suggested around "eight out of ten people opposed legislating in this way, including a majority of voters who backed Macron in the first round of last year's presidential election". [141] He quoted the CGT union's claims that 800,000 were demonstrating in Paris. "[181], Paris' municipal waste collectors started its strike and blockade of the city's incinerators twelve days earlier; the proposed pension reforms would raise their retirement age from 57 to 59. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. [130] At Gare de Lyon train station, several hundred unionists and strikers demonstrated on the railway tracks. Retirement Age. [83] On Twitter, a clip of protesters gathered at the Place chanting "we decapitated Louis XVI and we can start again, Macron" went viral,[90] with protesters also, more generally, calling for Macron to resign. [120] On 22 March, Reuters outlined that "[p]rotests against the bill have drawn huge crowds in rallies organised by unions since January", of which "[m]ost have been peaceful, but anger has mounted since the government pushed the bill through parliament without a vote last week"; "[t]he past six nights have seen fierce demonstrations across France with bins set ablaze and scuffles with police". [95][7] A representative of a union representing waste collectors said strikers at three incinerators outside of Paris would allow some trucks through to "limit the risk of an epidemic",[18] while police claimed trucks from five depots had restarted work. [108] Crisis24 said that industrial action at oil refineries was "starting to impact fuel supplies", with shortages of fuel at stations, "particularly" in Marseille and the south of the country. [130], Workers voted to strike at an LNG terminal in Dunkirk, reducing output to the minimum. [157], During Emmanuel Macron's tour of France, protesters gathered in Muttersholtz, wearing CGT vests and held unwelcoming signs and banners, including one banner which threatened to cancel the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics if Macron did not withdraw the pension reform. [37] According to the unions, 2 million people took part in the demonstrations with 400,000 of them participating in the Paris demonstrations. [163][164], After the May Day protests, French trade unions on 2 May announced a new day of nationwide protests against Macron's pension reform, setting the future protests on June 6. "[87], On 18 March, it was announced protests in Paris were banned on the Place de la Concorde, opposite parliament, as well at the Champs-lyses. If you wish to retire at 62 (the minimum retirement age) with a full pension, you must have already accrued the required number of trimestres. [92] Later in the day, National Rally filed a separate no-confidence motion,[83] signed by 81 cross-party MPs;[92] party leader Le Pen said the decision to push through the pension changes was "a total failure for the government". Protests in France over pension reform draw nearly 1 million ", "Paris 2024 Olympic Headquarters Stormed By French Pension Protesters", "French pension reform protesters briefly storm 2024 Olympics headquarters", "Paris stinks as uncollected trash mounts to 10,000 tonnes due to strikes", "Long Paris trash strike ends, workers face daunting cleanup", "Rubbish to be cleared from Paris after strike suspended", "France protest arrests: Are the police abusing the legal system? [121] The Constitutional Council has a month to "consider any objections" to the bill. [158], Continuing his tour, Emmanuel Macron was jeered by crowds in eastern France in Slestat, in Alsace. [11], The coordination of the strikes by all of France's trade unions has been labelled a "rare show of unity",[11] with transport and energy workers, teachers, dockers and public sector workers (such as museum staff) all having gone on strike. On 17 March, 60 people were taken into custody, with 34 cases closed, 21 with another result (such as a caution or warning), with just five ending up at trial. [5] France's pension system is largely built on a "pay-as-you-go structure"; both workers and employers "are assessed mandatory payroll taxes that are used to fund retiree pensions". The interior ministry said more than 1.27 million people protested, a higher figure than 12 days ago. 50% of salary) and the total period of insurance. [160] During the tour, Macron thanked the French workers to their contributions to the nation, however he did not mention the ongoing protests. The author of a biography of the late Queen Elizabeth II, Stephen Clarke, said it was "very bad timing", and that while the people of France would "normally welcome a British king", "in this moment, people protesting are on high alert for any sign of privilege and wealth"; Associated Press (AP) commented that "what was meant to be a show of bonhomie and friendship instead is being seen as an unnecessary display of hereditary privilege". [17], In the Place de la Concorde, thousands protested (figures are disputed between 2,000 protesters and 7,000[82][83][79][84]). A new date of strikes and protests has been set for 6 April at the end of the 10th day of mass protest over a controversial pension reform. The police estimated that there were 1,000 protestors engaged in violence. Photos by Jrmy Paoloni/Abaca/Sipa USA A destroyed vehicle in a Paris street on June 30, 2023 after a . [69] Demonstrations also took place in Le Havre in Normandy, Nice,[72] and Mulhouse. [95] easyJet and Ryanair, both British airlines, warned passengers to expect disruption. A male nurse said he was there because conditions in public hospitals had become intolerable. Police explained this was due to "serious risks of disturbances to public order and security", and said those who did not obey this order could be fined. Cost of living - latest: Interest rate forecasts change sharply after Manifestation Dinan: " Ne pas laisser retomber la pression ", "Rforme des retraites: prs de 200 manifestants dans les rues de Limoges ce samedi", "Ce samedi, deuxime manifestation de la semaine contre la rforme des retraites Lyon", "Compilation de manifs CONTRE LA RFORME des RETRAITES en OCCITANIE entre le 31/01 et le 21/03/2023", "France hit by second nationwide strike against pension reform", "Manifestations du 11 fvrier, en direct: entre 963 000 et 2,5 millions de personnes ont manifest samedi en France", "New pension strikes grip France as MPs wage legislative battle", "France pension protests: Fuel deliveries blocked by strikers", "French protesters take to the streets to rally against Macron's pension plan", "French Senate advances Macron's pension reform plan as strikes continue", "Garbage piles up as French strike nationwide over pension change", "Nationwide protests ahead of final votes on French pension reform", "Pension reform protests: Map of the March 15 demonstrations across France", "French Protesters Take to Streets in Last Angry Push Before Vote on Pension Bill", "France erupts in strikes and protests over pension age rise in pictures", "France pension protests: Clashes after Macron orders rise in pension age without vote", "A dog day afternoon in French politics as Macron uses 'nuclear option' to raise retirement age", "Protests erupt as French government forces through higher retirement age", "Is France 'on the edge of civil unrest'? Additionally, Macron has "accelerated a previous change that increased the number of years that workers must pay into the system to get a full pension and abolished special pension rules that benefited workers in sectors like energy and transportation". [110][135] ITV News reported in the early afternoon that it was "currently the site of a large demonstration", and also that "[h]uge crowds have started marching in the major cities of Marseille, Lyon, Paris and Nantes as more than 250 protests were organised across the country". Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt said the government is already working hard to implement the changes by 1 September. As well as this, they quoted figures from the UFIP oil lobby that 7% of the country's petrol stations were affected by fuel shortages,[112] (up from 4% prior to the weekend; and that only 58 of 200 storage facilities were blocked)[113] meaning "people in major cities in particular would be "suffering"; this was worse in some areas, as in Marseille, "around half of petrol stations are reporting shortages, with an estimated 40 per cent completely closed in Bouches-du-Rhne",[112] and that "the Paris region could be hit by shortages at the storage facility of Genevilliers, northwest of the French capital". Protests in the former three cities were reported to have resulted in clashes between protesters and police,[86] and in Lyon consisted of approximately "400 people gathered in front of administrative offices, calling for the president to resign". This system, "which has enabled generations to retire with a guaranteed, state-backed pension, will not change". Power plants reported reduced production after workers went on strike at the main electricity company EDF. Without a majority in parliament, the government will have to rely on the right-wing Republicans for support as much as the ruling parties' own MPs. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Prs de 20000 personnes manifestent contre la rforme des retraites Strasbourg.
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