Unrest after pension reform does not abate: More protests in France

A new round of strikes and protests against pension reforms began in France on Thursday. Despite an attempt at reconciliation by President Emmanuel Macron, thousands took to the streets in several cities.

Access to universities and high schools was blocked and oil depots were blocked. According to broadcaster BFMTV, at least one fuel is now missing at 15 percent of petrol stations in France. Trains and flights were canceled again. Authorities expected up to 800,000 protesters across the country during the day.

The protests are against the gradual increase of the retirement age from 62 to 64 and the actions of the government. 12,000 policemen and gendarmes are on duty. It is feared that there will be more riots. While the days of strikes and protests have been mostly peaceful for weeks, violence has increased in recent days.

The middle government wants to close an imminent gap in the pension fund by raising the entry age. The dispute escalated a week ago as Macron pushed the text through the National Assembly without a vote. Two motions of no confidence in the government failed on Monday evening. The reform has therefore succeeded. It is now under review by the Constitutional Council.

The retirement age in France is currently 62 years. In fact, retirement starts later on average: those who have not paid in long enough to receive a full pension continue to work longer. At the age of 67, there will then be a pension without deductions, regardless of how long it has been paid in – the government wants to maintain this, even if the number of years of contribution for a full pension increases faster. She wants to increase the monthly minimum pension to around 1,200 euros. (sda/dpa)