French PM Born reveals details of controversial pension reform plan

Issuance of: 2023/08/01 – 16:23

French President Emmanuel Macron lacks an effective majority, so getting the government’s pension reform package through parliament will not be easy.

he needs to get dozens of conservative lawmakers or use him constitutional right To bypass Congress, which infuriates the opposition and further aggravates the public.

The government says reforms are needed to keep the pension system from running a deficit in the next few years.

“The aim is to balance the budget without raising taxes or cutting pensions,” government spokesman Olivier Bellan told journalists. It includes a raise,” he said.

pension Reform in France has always been a very sensitive issue, especially at a time when social dissatisfaction with the soaring cost of living is on the rise.

threat of strike action

Macron had to freeze pension reform in 2020 as the government rushed to contain the Covid-19 outbreak and save the economy.

Union opposition is tougher now than in 2020, with even France’s largest union, the reform-minded CFDT, threatening to protest after abstaining three years ago despite concerns about reform at the time.

“If the retirement age is brought back to 65 or 64, the CFDT will do what we said. We will call on workers to mobilize and resist this reform,” said the CFDT chief. Laurent Berger said last week.

Desperate to contain social tensions, governments have spent tens of billions of euros to soften the blow of record electricity and gas prices. inflation Lower than most other EU countries.

Recent strike actions have been confined to specific sectors such as: Refinery And airlines, outrage over pension reform could easily spark a much wider outcry.

Pension reform is unpopular, according to polls. However, the government still believes that the public mood, compared to 2018, is leaning more toward resignation than anger.

(with wire)