France Continues Pension Protests, but Will it be Enough?

On Tuesday, streets were filled with protests and transportation was on strike again in France. This marked the 14th day of demonstrations nationwide since January. These protests are in opposition to a widely unpopular pension overhaul. The demonstrations were a final push to pressure authorities to remove the changes to the pension system, but with key parts of the overhaul already made into law, opponents of the reform acknowledge that the opportunity to turn the tide is slim.

The government, led by Emmanuel Macron, raised the legal retirement age from 62 to 64. This move sparked the biggest political threat in Macron’s second term. While there are large-scale protests that have failed to budge Mr. Macron, the persistence of these protests, even after the overhaul became law, is a sign of lingering anger. Laurent Berger, the leader of the French Democratic Confederation of Labor, the largest union in France, said on Tuesday as he was getting ready for the march in Paris, “The game is about to end whether we like it or not…”.

Despite this, the persistence of the protests may have lasting consequences for Macron’s political fortunes. According to a recent survey conducted by the Elabe polling firm, Macron’s popularity has now stabilized at around 30 percent. This figure is slightly below his popularity level in January, before the pension protests started.

Macron believes that the current pension system, which is based on payroll taxes, is financially unsustainable because retirees supported by active workers are living longer. To balance the system, his government decided to make people work longer by raising the legal age when they can start collecting a pension. Macron said in a televised interview last month, “We have a deficit problem, and we have to plug it. I stand by this reform.”

However, opponents say that Macron has exaggerated the threat of projected deficits. They argue he has refused to consider other ways to balance the system, such as increasing worker payroll taxes.

This move angered opponents who felt they were not being heard. Peaceful marches that drew millions into the streets turned to “wild protests”. These protests were marked by heavy vandalism and pan-beating demonstrations meant to express people’s discontent and frustration. Macron’s government narrowly survived a no-confidence vote over the pension overhaul after several Republican lawmakers unexpectedly turned against it.

Therefore, the upheaval over the changes to pensions has presented Macron with a harsh political reality. Macron’s efforts to move past the troubles seem to be paying off. His popularity has risen slightly over the past month. However, left-wing forces and labor unions are now pinning their hopes on a provision put forward by a small parliamentary faction to repeal the pension law. While it is uncertain what the outcome of this will be, as of now, Macron and his government have pushed through key parts of the overhaul.