Despite all the protests, in the spring of 2023, the French Senate approved the decisive article for the government’s planned increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64 years. This will take effect on Friday. Large gatherings were not announced.
The trade unions formed a united front against the reform and organized mass protests with hundreds of thousands of participants. The rallies turned violent at times after the government pushed the reform through parliament after a turbulent debate without a vote.
The protests were accompanied by strikes on railways and airports. No waste was dumped in parts of Paris for weeks.
Macron actually put the sensitive issue of retirement age on the agenda during his first term. After the so-called yellow vest protests, however, the corona pandemic came and the reform was canceled for the time being. In the 2022 election campaign, the president then announced a second attempt.
Macron: Deficit in the pension fund
Macron justified the reform with a looming deficit in the pension fund. In view of the aging population, employees would have to pay for an increasing number of pensioners with their contributions. To keep the reference level stable, the population would have to work a little longer.
Until now, many people in France have continued to work past the age of 62 if they had not paid long enough for a pension without deductions when they reached retirement age.
Source: Krone
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