Macron pushes ahead with pension reform as discontent grows in France |
PARIS, 8 january (Reuters) – President of France Emmanuel Macron’s government this week in the face of fierce opposition from trade unions pension to revive the economic reform campaign by starting the overhaul of the system and big political trying to win.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne will detail plans on Tuesday to make the French work longer by raising the pension age from 62 to 64 or 65.
The lowest in the industrialized world, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development pension one of his age Francespending about 14% of economic output on pensions, more than any other country.
It will not be easy to pass the reform through the parliament. Macron does not have a majority and must take on several dozen conservative lawmakers or use his constitutional powers, angering the opposition and further antagonizing the public.
At 62 years old pension with which the right to retire is deeply protected in France pension reform is always a highly sensitive issue, and even more so in connection with the increase in the cost of living social with growing discontent.
The government says reform is needed to keep the pension system’s finances out of the red for years to come, but Macron’s success after losing control of parliament last year also political can change the game.
“The goal is to balance the accounts without raising taxes or cutting pensions. Various options are on the table, but they all include raising the retirement age,” government spokesman Olivier Veran told reporters.
APPLICATION HAZARD
Macron 20 as the government rushes to contain the COVID epidemic and save the economy20had to put the pension reform on ice.
Now he is 2020It can count on tougher union opposition since , even as the reform-minded CFDT – France’s largest union – is threatening a protest it boycotted three years ago despite doubts about reform at the time.
“If the retirement age is lowered to 65 or 64, the CFDT will do what we say, we will resist these reforms by calling on workers to mobilize,” CFDT chief Laurent Berger said last week.
Available inflation With growing frustrations over the loss of purchasing power during the crisis, calls for a layoff may have more appeal this time around.
Social Desperate to keep tensions under control, a government with record power and gas has spent tens of billions of euros to soften the impact of prices France kept inflation lower than most EU countries.
Although recent strike action at oil refineries and weather Although limited to specific sectors such as roads, anger over pension reform could easily lead to wider protests.
2018 and the yellow vest movement, largely dormant since violent anti-Macron street protests in 2019, in central Paris on Saturday march held, although attendance was low.
Polls show pension reforms are unpopular. However, the government nevertheless believes that government spokesman Veran 2018Compared to , the general public mood is more resigned than angry.
“We are reforming pensions not to be popular, but to be responsible. All of us way we will go because it’s ours social it’s the only way our model can survive,” he added.
Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau and Leigh Thomas; Added by Caroline Pailliez report; Written by Leigh Thomas Tomasz Janowski and edited by Emelia Sithole-Matarise
Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
2023-01-09 03:41:55
Source – reuters
Translation“24 HOURS”