Macron returns to more protests in France on eve of pensions ruling
Emmanuel Macron faces a fresh day of strike action and protests against his unpopular plans to raise France’s minimum pension age from 62 to 64, amid questions over how the government intends to calm public opinion and move ahead if the bill is validated on Friday by the constitutional council.
Just as the president returned from a state visit to the Netherlands, where he was forced to contain the row over his comments on Taiwan, he faced a renewed domestic challenge as hundreds of thousands of people once again demonstrated across France.
After a request by the prime minister, Élisabeth Borne, the constitutional council will make a ruling on whether the legislation is in line with the French constitution. Politicians on the left have also asked it to rule on whether a form of citizens’ referendum could be organised on the pensions changes.
Ministers are privately confident that the council will approve the changes, after the government used an executive order to push them through without a parliamentary vote last month. If so, Macron hopes to sign the new pensions rules into law immediately, so they can come into force before the end of 2023.
The government hopes this will put an end to almost three months of protests, which at times have culminated in violence and running battles with police. The demonstrations have focused a sense of widespread anger against Macron.
Trade unions said anger would remain and protests would continue if the bill was signed in.
Transport and schools were affected by strikes on Thursday, and some Paris bin-collectors resumed the capital’s refuse strike, which had stopped at the end of March after 10,000 tonnes of rubbish piled up. Police expect that between 400,000 and 600,000 people will take
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