Boiling point

Why have Macron’s pension plans stoked so much anger in France?

Since Emmanuel Macron forced through his plans to raise the pension age in France last week, public dismay has been bubbling. On Thursday night, at the end of the ninth day of nationwide protests since January, that anger reached boiling point.

The most visible symbol of the tensions came in Bordeaux, where the doors of the city hall were set alight. But all across the country, the unpopularity of Macron’s plans was plainly visible. The authorities put the number of people on the streets at 1.1 million, while unions said it was about 3.5 million. The severity of the clashes between protesters and the police – and scale of the wider movement – suggest the fight against the changes is far from over.

On Wednesday, Macron made a live TV appearance to defend his plan to raise the official retirement age in France from 62 to 64. He said he had one regret: “That I have not succeeded in convincing people of the necessity of this reform.”

The protesters’ anger is not limited to Macron’s management of the situation, or even the pension proposals. They say his move to force the reforms through without a vote raises wider concerns about the state of French democracy.

The protests have been on two tracks: an optimistic spirit during union-organised daytime marches; and a darker mood during unofficial actions at night. Thursday followed that pattern.

Macron abandoned a broader effort to change France’s hugely complex pensions infrastructure during his first term after huge street protests and as the coronavirus pandemic hit. This time, he has taken a simpler approach: instead of merging the country’s 42 separate pension schemes, he argues that asking people to work for two more years can make the system sustainable in the long term.

Macron, who cannot run for office again, insists the changes – which were part of his secondterm manifesto – are crucial and worth the sacrifice of his already-diminished popularity.

Supporters point out French men retire two years earlier than the EU average, and women a year earlier. They reject tax increases as an alternative model, saying France already has an unusually high tax burden.

The French public is fiercely protective of a system seen as the cornerstone of the country’s cherished model of social protection. They are proud of the fact that French pensioners are less likely to live in poverty than those in most other European countries.

While a deficit in the system is expected over the next 25 years, analysis by the pensions advisory council says the figures “do not support the claim that pensions spending is out of control”. That leads critics to argue Macron’s approach is too combative and stark, and to claim he is prioritising tax cuts for businesses.

Polls suggest the protesters are not out of step with public opinion. Two-thirds of people support the protesters, while Macron’s approval rating is 28%.

His decision to force his plan through parliament without a vote is opposed by 82% of voters. Nonetheless, amid calls for a public referendum and moves by opposition lawmakers to rescind the new law before it is implemented, Macron has shown no sign of backing down.