By Jane Roberts

French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo credit: Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s official website via Wikimedia Commons.

Over a million angry French workers took to the streets with signs, flags, and protests after a second nationwide strike broke out on Tuesday, Jan. 31 in the wake of President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed pension reform. His plan to raise the legal retirement age by two years has presented as a tremendous setback in terms of workers’ rights to the majority of French citizens, and with three strikes already having transpired, their discontentment over this news is becoming increasingly evident.

Historically, the French have had an abnormally high tendency towards going on strike, losing more working days due to strikes than almost every other country internationally, according to Radio France Internationale. But where does this habit towards striking stem from? One French professor in labor sociology thinks it’s because they have a natural disposition towards “skepticism,” which makes them more inclined to protest against legislations, as she indicated in an article from France 24. Additionally, some believe that since modern France was founded on insurrectionary ideals in the French Revolution, its people protest as a way to uphold the values of their ancestors.  

The average legal French retiree is entitled to a state pension of roughly 1500 USD per month, on which France spends a staggering 14% of their GDP. The legal retirement age required to receive this payment is 62, but as the life expectancy in France rises and more employees retire, Macron has been urging to push this back to 64 in an effort to stabilize the economy and recover from the country’s substantial spending in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to Bloomberg, people in France can draw their pensions earlier than most other Europeans, with a lower average retirement age. When interviewed at a recent strike by Bloomberg, Jean-Phillipe, a French mechanical engineer, remarked, “the French are relatively well-off compared to other countries but still we need to protect our system.” For many strikers, their grievances do not stem from a disinterest in working two more years. “This social progress is dear to the French,” commented one protester in the New York Times. Citizens worry that if they allow the legal retirement age to be raised a small amount now, the government will have more power to enact more radical reforms in the future.

Protesters with a sign: “Subway, work, coffin. No thanks!” Photo credit: Jiel Beaumadier via Wikimedia Commons.

On Jan. 31, between 1.2 and 2.5 million people across France participated in strikes, with the number varying between labor union reports and that of the French authorities. As a result of these strikes, few trains or metros operated, many schools closed, ski stations were shut down, and the nation’s power supply was low. If the strikes continue, the turnout of workers could go down, as many struggle to balance their personal beliefs and demand for a paycheck.

An opinion poll was conducted to gain more insight into how many French support this reform, and Le Journal du Dimanche reported that approximately two-thirds of the French public oppose the raising of the legal retirement age. Even so, the French prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, has affirmed that this adjustment is “not negotiable,” as stated in The Guardian. 

The French government’s disregard for the French public’s majority perspective has only heightened their unflagging displeasure towards Macron. In his second and final term in office, his reforms while in power have granted him the label as a “president of the rich.” One protester, a bus driver from western France, expressed, “For the president, it’s easy. He sits in a chair … he can work until he’s 70, even. We can’t ask roof layers to work until 64, it’s not possible.” Many citizens feel as though Macron does not represent the majority of the French public and want someone who will listen to their grievances wholeheartedly. 

Contrarily, some believe this pension bill is essential to the future of the French economy, describing the current plan as “generous” compared to the rest of Europe. Many also highlight the effects of each strike on France as a whole, as they have suspended schools and public transportation. Since the French have been debating over the retirement system for so many years, those who back this legislation feel as though a change ought to be made to attenuate the effects of the recurring strikes and tension among citizens as a result of the disagreement.

One striker with a sign that says, “Retirement before arthritis.” Photo credit: Jeanne Menjoulet via flickr.

The government has made proposals to alleviate some of the distress following the reform, including a raise of the minimum monthly pension and exemptions of the legal retirement age for those who started working early in life. However, these terms do not seem to be enough for many French citizens, considering the three strikes that have already occurred, and potentially more if no further changes are made.

As of now, the pension bill has been formally presented to the French cabinet, but it still needs to pass through Parliament, where Macron recently lost his centrist majority. Even so, if the right-wing Les Républicains party decides to back the bill, their vote combined with the centrist alliance could push the bill through the National Assembly. Furthermore, if Macron decides to use France’s highly controversial Article 49.3, he can pass the legislation without a parliamentary majority, which would likely only add to the turmoil currently encompassing the nation. The bill is currently being debated in the French senate, and the debate has the potential to persist for months to come.

Featured image photo credit: Jeanne Menjoulet via flickr.