Nationwide Protests in France After Unpopular Decisions by Macron Hope Evans

Nationwide protests in France are currently causing restricted travel, closed schools, and vandalism. The demonstrations have been going on for about two weeks, though the unrest began back in January. They are in response to a pension reform bill that would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, which the President forced through Parliament without a vote.

The French retirement age is currently the lowest of the major European Union (EU) countries. However, without change, the system is predicted to run a deficit of €5 billion by 2030. French President Emmanuel Macron’s bill to raise the retirement age attempts to make the French economy more competitive, saying, “Do you think I enjoy making this reform? No. This reform isn’t a luxury, it’s not a pleasure, it’s a necessity.” Opponents, however, argue that there are other ways to handle this financial deficit, such as a tax on the wealthy or greater payroll contributions from employers.

The majority of the French public was opposed to the bill, with a Reuters poll putting that number at 70 per cent. But the final spark that led to protests was President Macron’s decision to supersede French democracy by using a constitutional clause to push the legislation through the French National Assembly without a vote, because of fears that there would not be enough support to pass the bill otherwise.

He invoked Article 49.3 of the constitution, which states: “The prime minister, after deliberation by the council of ministers . . . may bypass a vote in the National Assembly on bills relating to state and social security budgets.” The prime minister, Élisabeth Borne, followed Macron’s wishes, and the bill was passed on March 16.

The use of such power, however, comes with a steep limitation. A no-confidence motion can be brought forward by members of the National Assembly which, if it receives enough votes, forces the prime minister and her cabinet to resign and defeats the bill. In the wake of the pension reform bill, two no-confidence motions were brought forward. The first was initiated by a coalition of centrist and left-wing parties and received 278 votes, 9 shy of the required 287. While it did not pass, it is notable for receiving the most votes out of the 16 no-confidence motions of the last 10 months. The second no-confidence motion was put forward by the far-right and received 94 votes.

The president threatened that if a no-confidence vote were to pass, he would dissolve the National Assembly, forcing new parliamentary elections. Since the establishment of France’s Fifth Republic in

1958, the government has only fallen once due to a no-confidence vote in 1962. While the no-confidence motions both failed in this case, they go to show how much opposition President Macron is facing against this bill.

In response, unions called for strikes and protests. The country’s eight main workers’ unions have banded together to fight this reform, which is the first time that has happened since 2010.

As of March 28, the country was on its tenth day of nationwide demonstrations with no signs of stopping. On March 28, there were some 740,000 protesters—93,000 in Paris alone—and 240 rallies. The highest turnout, however, was on March 7, with nearly 1.3 million protestors.

March 23 left around 441 police officers injured and 475 people arrested. The IGPN, the internal affairs unit of the French police, is investigating 17 incidents and allegations against police officers. The head of the Paris police claims that all their arrests of protestors are justified, but a group of more than 30 lawyers wrote an open letter to the French newspaper, Le Monde, over their concerns about arbitrary arrests to deter people from protesting. French citizen Yves, a former teacher and factory worker, explains that “People are demonstrating on the street because citizens aren’t being listened to. We’re afraid of being tear-gassed, but the police should be protecting us.”

The government, however, sees the protests as the work of extremists. The Minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmanin, said that “There are troublemakers, often extreme left, who want to take down the state and kill police and ultimately take over the institutions.” President Macron compared the protests to the U.S.’s January 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol. The protestors take issue with the president’s dismissal of them. One of the protestors, Willy Mancel, told press that “The street has legitimacy in France. If Mr. Macron can’t remember this historic reality, I don’t know what he is doing here.”

Despite all the unrest, the government still claims that the country is open to tourism. Spokesman Oliver Véran said, “I don’t want people to think that France is not capable of welcoming tourists. People both here and abroad shouldn’t worry, despite the protests and strikes, life goes on as normal, as French people living here can clearly see.” However, tourist attractions like the Eiffel Tower were closed to prevent vandalism.

Coordinated strikes left 8,000 tons of garbage piled in the streets, 20 percent of flights on March 28 and 29 cancelled at various airports, and the Louvre being blocked from opening. Up to 200 schools have been blockaded by pupils. Electricity output has been cut and protestors have blocked oil depots and terminals, creating shortages. Strikes also affected refineries and railways.

While most of the demonstrations are peaceful, some have led to violence. Hundreds of acts of vandalism were reported at public buildings and political offices, as well as over 2,000 incidents of arson. Some protesters have thrown objects like rocks, bottles, and Molotov cocktails at police officers, which the police responded to by firing tear gas into the crowds. Thirteen thousand police officers were deployed, with 5,500 in Paris alone.

England’s King Charles and his wife were supposed to arrive in France on Sunday 26 for a three-day visit, but their trip has now been postponed, even though Interior Minister Darmainin claims that there are no security risks and that the English crown is welcome. The protests do not look to be abating soon. Union leaders are calling on the president to suspend the pension reform and say that they are in favour of opening a dialogue with the government. The government appears to reciprocate such feelings, showing interest in de-escalation and civil discussions, but appears to not be interested in dropping the pension changes. They claim to be interested in conversing with the unions about other labour reforms, instead. The situation is still volatile, and with neither side seemingly interested in backing down, only time can tell the outcome of this conflict.