France is bracing for its seventh day of protests against the contentious pension reform of President Emmanuel Macron, with a growing majority opposing the overhaul.
(Bloomberg) — France is bracing for its seventh day of protests against the contentious pension reform of President Emmanuel Macron, with a growing majority opposing the overhaul.
Marches against the reform are expected to take place in cities across the country Saturday, allowing those who oppose Macron’s plan but can’t afford to strike on weekdays to join. At least 1.28 million people took part in demonstrations last Tuesday, the largest turnout yet in a succession of protests since mid-January.
In a letter Friday, Macron told the country’s unions who demanded an in-person meeting that it was necessary to work longer to preserve the pension system, sticking to his plan to raise the retirement age to 64 from 62. A survey by pollster Elabe for BFMTV Saturday shows that 70% of the French are against the overhaul, up 3 points from a week earlier.
Out of 1,003 adults interviewed on March 9-10 via the internet, 54% of respondents say they support the strikes and the blocking of some sectors to oppose the reform.
The French Senate, which is currently reviewing the bill, will only proceed to one vote on the entire proposal, after the government used an article of the French constitution to speed up debates on Friday. The move, which means the amendments submitted by opposition parties will not be voted on, sparked an outrage among lawmakers.
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