In a final surge of protest on Tuesday, French unions are hoping they can reignite resistance to President Emmanuel Macron’s higher retirement age policy with a wave of nationwide protests and scattered strikes.
Paris’ Orly Airport was forced to cancel a third of its flights due to strikes, and roughly 10% of trains were affected. There are around 250 marches, rallies, and other protests planned for all over the nation on the 14th day of national protests over the pension reform to be held, since January.
Public sentiment was enraged when Macron moved to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, and then forced the proposal through parliament without a vote. It triggered some of the biggest demonstrations France has seen in years.
However since the last big series of protests on May 1st, the intensity of the anger has waned, as the measure became law in April. Many believe Tuesday’s protest will be the last big show of opposition by the movement.
Macron has argued that the measure was necessary due to the finances of the pension system and the need to keep it funded as the population ages. His left-wing opponents and the unions argued that the measure will hurt poorer workers and he should have sought to impose higher taxes on the wealthy and employers instead.
The organizers of the protests on Tuesday hope that they will rally support for a bill which may be debated in parliament on Thursday which would repeal the measure.
The bill was proposed by legislators from the opposition group LIOT. It would return the retirement age to 62. Although Macron’s centrist party lacks a majority in the National Assembly, it formed an alliance with the conservative Republicans to oppose the opposition party’s efforts.