Protests in France: “That’s why it has to bang now”

Status: 07.03.2023 7:20 p.m

Macron’s pension reform has again brought thousands of French onto the streets. Again, public life largely came to a standstill. There is no end in sight to the trial of strength. The unions announced new protests.

By Julia Borutta, ARD Studio Paris

They are loud and there are many – here in Paris and in all corners of the country, where the strikers have registered a total of 265 demonstrations. President Emmanuel Macron is emblazoned on the posters, portrayed as the gravedigger of social achievements.

Ariane is one of the participants of the demo. The researcher finds the increase in the retirement age particularly unfair for all those who do heavy physical work. “You can feed the pension fund in other ways than by having people work longer,” she says. “Employers should just pay more contributions.” You can’t expect people to work until the end of their lives. Especially not those engaged in heavy or completely dull activity.

more pressing issues

A small group carries a large white figure through the streets. It is justice personified. She is bleeding from her face and is badly injured. Lanky, tall Mehmet is still studying. He drew a sign that said “Retire before the end of the world.” In his opinion, there are much more pressing issues than pensions. “You have to solve the climate crisis first, otherwise there will be no one who retires anyway,” says Mehmet.

The government simply does not listen and does not understand what is important, says Dimitri. “We don’t have the government we need. That’s why it has to be a bang.” They now need a sign of the blockade so that even more people take to the streets and the movement “gets really explosive”.

Attal: Strikes bring workers to their knees

Gabriel Attal, Deputy Minister for Public Finance, does not want to accept the accusation that the government is deaf and does not listen. “We have always listened to those who oppose our reform, in Parliament and on the streets,” he says in the Senate. He defends the right to strike.

“But I’m fighting those who want to paralyze the country, who want to bring the economy to its knees, as some union representatives said,” emphasizes Attal. In reality, this is bringing companies, factories and workers to their knees. The majority of the French do not want that, the minister said.

“We are a people of protesters and outraged people”

Attal speaks from the heart of Nicolas. The owner of a shop selling modern carpets and interiors on Boulevard Raspail has stepped outside the shop door and shakes his head at the demonstrators. He can write off today. “I won’t have any income today, that’s clear,” says Nicolas.

Pension reform is the only way to keep the system balanced. “We live longer, so we have to work longer,” says the trader. “That’s logical.” This is the case everywhere in Europe. But the French are a people of protesters and outraged people. There is no real social dialogue.

No end to the power struggle in sight

Union leaders, on the other hand, are rejoicing. Laurent Berger, general secretary of France’s largest trade union CFDT, predicts that today will end with a record result.

The government, on the other hand, hopes that its key objective, raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, will be decided in the Senate today. However, that would not be the end of the power struggle between the unions and the government. On the contrary. The power struggle continues this week with more strikes and protests already announced.

Sixth day of protests and strikes in France

Julia Borutta, ARD Paris, March 7, 2023 6:04 p.m

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