French President Emmanuel Macron is consulting with Laurent Bergé, general secretary of the CFDT, a trade union historically owned by the Socialist Party, on a freeze on his plans to raise the retirement age to 64 from 62, while the country is once again in the grip of incessant strikes.
In recent months, this is the 10th round of strikes and protests in France against the revision of the country’s pension system. Today’s strike was especially noticeable in the transport and education sectors since the morning. The protests intensified after the government used special constitutional powers almost two weeks ago to bypass parliament in the final vote on the pension bill, sparking riots reminiscent of the yellow vests during Macron’s first term. Popular anger has essentially escalated into broader anti-Macron sentiment.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said on Monday that the authorities see an increase in violence against the state and expect a “very serious risk to public order” in demonstrations expected in cities such as Paris, Lyon, Nantes and Bordeaux.
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