Retirement age

On Thursday, President Emmanuel Macron forwarded a plan to raise the retirement age without a National Assembly vote.

“It opens up a new stage for the protests.” Interior Minister [Gérald Darmanin](https://www.france24.com/en/tag/g%C3%A9rald-darmanin/) told RTL radio 310 people were arrested nationwide — 258 of them in Paris. If you found the piece above useful, informative, or inspiring, please consider supporting Truthout with a tax-deductible donation. Across the French capital early Friday, “traffic, garbage collection, and university campuses in the city were disrupted, as unions threatened open-ended strikes,” DW noted. “Now it has a full-blown crisis on its hands.” Another spray-painted an ominous message on a metal barrier — “The shadow of the guillotine is nearing” — in the exact spot where Louis XVI was executed 230 years ago. One brandished a giant fork made of cardboard as the crowd chanted “Macron démission” (Macron resign). [asserted](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/politics/article/2023/03/17/french-pension-reform-macron-s-decision-to-bypass-parliament-ignites-fear-of-social-explosion_6019730_5.html) that “this forced passage with the use of Article 49.3 must be met with a response in line with this show of contempt toward the people.” [used](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/pressure-mounts-macron-after-violent-unrest-over-pensions-2023-03-17/) tear gas to disperse the Concorde crowd. Although unlikely, given the current makeup of the legislature, passing such a motion would not only reject the looming pension law but also “What counts is scuppering this unfair reform bill,” she said. But I consider that the financial, economic risks are too great at this stage.”

Increasing anger presents biggest challenge to Emmanuel Macron since gilets jaunes protests.

Opinion polls have shown about two-thirds of French people oppose the pension changes, a central pledge of Macron’s successful re-election campaign in 2022. [greatest challenge to the president’s authority](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/17/emmanuel-macron-pensions-plan-could-define-his-remaining-four-years-in-office) since the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) protests of 2018. Police in Paris have banned gatherings on the central Place de la Concorde as thousands of demonstrators continue to protest across France against Emmanuel Macron’s decision to force through a change to the state pension age without a parliamentary vote.

No-confidence motions face the Macron government as it tries to force its unpopular changes into law.

Following the president's invocation of the 49:3 procedure, opposition parties have tabled two censure motions against the government which will be debated this week. Faith in conventional politics and the parliamentary system is in fact at rock-bottom. In a functioning democracy the opposing arguments would surely find some form of compromise. Because the alternative, Marine Le Pen, was unacceptable to most. France's demons are back, and stalking the land. They live in completely separate mental worlds, and find it impossible even to communicate."

Protesters took to streets in Paris and other cities for a second day after French President imposed a highly unpopular bill raising the retirement age to ...