French unions are holding a fresh day of strikes against Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform in a test of whether the president has succeeded in getting much of the country to move on from the politically damaging fight.
(Bloomberg) — French unions are holding a fresh day of strikes against Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform in a test of whether the president has succeeded in getting much of the country to move on from the politically damaging fight.
People are expected to face less disruption on Tuesday than during previous protests, which stretch back to January. Rail operator SNCF plans to operate nine out of 10 trains, while service is expected to be normal on the Paris subway, according to transport company RATP. Some schools may close.
The biggest impact to transportation will likely be to flights. The DGAC civil aviation authority has asked carriers to cut one-third of services at Paris-Orly airport, as well as one-fifth at airports in Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and Nantes.
The latest nationwide protest, the first since May 1, comes two days before a group of independent, centrist lawmakers known as LIOT tries to trigger a vote in the National Assembly to have the reform repealed. The government has already succeeded in watering down the proposal, however, and even if it passes the lower house, it’s not expected to get through the Senate.
Still, France’s leading unions warned last week against “constitutional tricks” to block the vote, saying this would fuel public anger over the increase in the retirement age to 64 from 62. They reiterated their determination to overturn the reform, which was signed into law in April and is due to apply from September.
Macron has faced down months of protests and strikes to push through the pension overhaul, which is a key plank in his strategy to improve France’s debt-burdened finances and which he says will protect the retirement system. He provoked the ire of protesters when he used a provision to bypass a full vote on the legislation in parliament.
Read More: French Anger Over Pension Law Tops Worldwide Protests in 2023
Anger over the law has seen France top a global ranking of protests, with more than 3,800 through April, according to Bloomberg calculations based on data released by the Armed Conflict Location Event Data Project, which collects local media reports across the world.
In recent weeks, the French leader has sought to convey a conciliatory tone, acknowledging people haven’t accepted the retirement age hike. He has traveled across the country to discuss domestic issues such as wildfires, education and his plans for green reindustrialization in an effort to reset the agenda.
He has also sought to burnish his international image with high-profile trips abroad, including a much-discussed landmark speech on European geopolitics in Bratislava.
There are signs his efforts are starting to pay off. His popularity recovered slightly to 29% in May from 25% in April, according to an Elabe poll for Les Echos newspaper and Radio Classique. Backing for strikes and demonstrations has declined, meanwhile, according to an Ifop poll for Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper.
–With assistance from William Horobin.
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