France Faces New Pension System

written by 20214 Lee Si Ah

France is facing social outrage. 

The streets in France are filled with garbage, and the French are filled with anger. Most people, especially laborers, are going on strike to express this anger.

The French people feel that the new pension reform is unreasonable. They have struggled desperately to prevent it, which has led to protests spreading to the streets, businesses, schools and subways.

How Is the Pension Reform Affecting France?

On January 10th, President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a new pension plan. 

This plan increases the number of working people by raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. Macron’s government announced that the current pension plan is ineffective in that the dependent population is too large while the number of working people continues to decrease. This is mainly because of the aging population. 

However, many laborers in France flatly opposed the new system, which led to prompt resistance from labor unions, and they started to take to the streets.

Nevertheless, Macron’s government continued pushing forward with the legislation, and the Senate approved the plan on March 8th. 

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne forced the measure through the National Assembly by invoking Article 49.3 of the French Constitution, which states that the government can pass bills without parliament’s approval. 

This caused lawmakers to file a no-confidence vote against Macron’s government on March 17th, but it survived the vote and the pension change was signed into law on April 15th.

What Happened After That?

Ultimately, cities in France have been paralyzed due to the strikes. President Macron failed to convince the French people of the need for reform, and the communication between Macron and his citizens worsened.