Garbage, riots and protests: Anger in France escalates Complete ban possible: Biden administration wants to end Tiktok in the US

All of France seems furious at the moment. right? The controversial pension reform was approved on Thursday. Now there were violent protests from Marseille – Paris. But that’s not all: since March 6, the municipal garbage collection service in Paris has been on strike. Now the city seems to be drowning in the garbage. We summarize what is going on in France:

Why is there a demonstration in France?

Since February 2023, there have been repeated demonstrations in France. The reason: French President Emmanuel Macron wanted to raise the retirement age. In addition, the number of payment years required for a full pension must increase more rapidly. From 2027, you must have worked for 43 years instead of the previous 42 years to receive a full pension at age 64.

The French population did not agree with this: about 70 percent of the population spoke out against it.

At 62, the retirement age in France is lower than in most European countries. Italy, Germany and Spain have already raised the retirement age to 67. In the UK it is 66 years.

The pension reform has been passed

The French government decided on Thursday afternoon to push through the controversial pension reform. This without the actual pending vote in the National Assembly. She resorted to a special article in the constitution to implement President Emmanuel Macron’s main reform project. As a result, the retirement age will be raised from 62 to 64 years.

If you want to retire without deductions, you must have paid contributions for 43 years. Anyone who succeeds in this should receive a higher minimum pension of 1,200 euros in the future. Working longer should also help to compensate for the expected deficit of the pension funds.

Anger, riots and protests

The French population is angry about the decision. On Thursday evening, 217 people were arrested by the police at a protest in Paris. Riots broke out on the Platz de la Concorde in the center of the capital. According to media reports, riot police used water cannons and tear gas to clear the square. Protesters had set fire to wooden pallets and thrown objects at police, among other things. A total of 6000 participants were counted.

Protests also broke out in other French cities such as Marseille, Dijon, Nantes, Rennes, Rouen, Grenoble, Toulouse and Nice. The unions called for another nationwide day of strikes and protests for next Thursday. Millions of people had already taken to the streets against the reform project.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin instructed the police to provide special protection for MPs in light of the ongoing protests. The parliamentarians are exposed to threats, insults and damage to property, the minister wrote, as reported by France Info.

Paris drowns in the garbage

City garbage collectors have been on strike since March 6 to protest the government’s pension reform. Garbage collection workers have announced that the strike will last until March 20.

You smell the result of the strike. literal. In many parts of Paris, the containers are full and the garbage is piling up. In the first eight days, some 5,600 tons of waste is said to have accumulated. The rain of the past few days has soaked the garbage and made the smell worse.

According to French media, rats are now everywhere in the city. The view from cafes is blocked and some people can barely get to the front door.

(with material from sda)