Macron to address public after ‘pensions victory’
Published: 05:04 PM,Apr 17,2023 | EDITED : 09:04 PM,Apr 17,2023
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PARIS: President Emmanuel Macron is on Monday to address France for the first time since signing into law his controversial pension reform, facing warnings the political and social crisis it sparked is not over.
Macron signed the legislation early on Saturday, just hours after the banner change to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 had been validated by the constitutional court, prompting accusations he was smuggling the law through in the dead of night.
After three months of protests and strikes, the left and unions have vowed not to give in and warned of mass protests on the May 1 Labour Day.
Polls have consistently recorded a majority of French opposed to the reform, which the government rammed through parliament using a controversial mechanism to avoid a vote.
Macron’s personal popularity ratings have eroded with some analysts suggesting he has given a head start to far-right leader Marine Le Pen down the long path to 2027 elections.
The press has widely dubbed it a “Pyrrhic victory” after the Greek king who defeated the Romans but saw most of his army destroyed in the process.
Macron is to address the nation from 1800 GMT on all France’s major TV channels, the presidency said, in a speech government spokesman Olivier Veran insisted on Saturday would be in the spirit of “pacification”.
But the leader of the powerful CGT union Sophie Binet said in an interview with regional newspapers on Sunday that Macron was “on his way to becoming the president of chaos”.
“He is opening the way to the National Rally” party of Le Pen, who one poll gave as the victor if the 2022 presidential election was re-run today, she said.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne vowed on Saturday the government would press ahead with more reforms now the pensions overhaul was done.
“We are determined to accelerate” the pace of reforms, she told the national council of Macron’s Renaissance party.
Binet and other union bosses have called for a “popular and historic tidal wave” of people on the streets to oppose the reforms on May 1.
As a prelude to the May 1 protests, railway unions are calling for a day of “railway anger” on Thursday.
“I find that the country is anxious and also angry. This anger has to be heard,” warned French parliament speaker Yael Braun-Pivet. — AFP
Macron signed the legislation early on Saturday, just hours after the banner change to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 had been validated by the constitutional court, prompting accusations he was smuggling the law through in the dead of night.
After three months of protests and strikes, the left and unions have vowed not to give in and warned of mass protests on the May 1 Labour Day.
Polls have consistently recorded a majority of French opposed to the reform, which the government rammed through parliament using a controversial mechanism to avoid a vote.
Macron’s personal popularity ratings have eroded with some analysts suggesting he has given a head start to far-right leader Marine Le Pen down the long path to 2027 elections.
The press has widely dubbed it a “Pyrrhic victory” after the Greek king who defeated the Romans but saw most of his army destroyed in the process.
Macron is to address the nation from 1800 GMT on all France’s major TV channels, the presidency said, in a speech government spokesman Olivier Veran insisted on Saturday would be in the spirit of “pacification”.
But the leader of the powerful CGT union Sophie Binet said in an interview with regional newspapers on Sunday that Macron was “on his way to becoming the president of chaos”.
“He is opening the way to the National Rally” party of Le Pen, who one poll gave as the victor if the 2022 presidential election was re-run today, she said.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne vowed on Saturday the government would press ahead with more reforms now the pensions overhaul was done.
“We are determined to accelerate” the pace of reforms, she told the national council of Macron’s Renaissance party.
Binet and other union bosses have called for a “popular and historic tidal wave” of people on the streets to oppose the reforms on May 1.
As a prelude to the May 1 protests, railway unions are calling for a day of “railway anger” on Thursday.
“I find that the country is anxious and also angry. This anger has to be heard,” warned French parliament speaker Yael Braun-Pivet. — AFP