France Retirement Age Plan Leads to Big Victory for Emmanuel Macron

(Photo : Mischa Schoemaker - Pool/Getty Images)
In a victory for President Emmanuel Macron, the French Constitutional Council has approved an unpopular proposal to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, despite months of mass protests.

French Constitutional Court approved Emmanuel Macron's pension reform
Council rejects other pension bill provisions
Violence erupted on the streets of Paris

On Friday, France's Constitutional Council authorized a contentious plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, granting President Emmanuel Macron a victory after three months of mass protests over the legislation that harmed his leadership.

The move threatened to infuriate unions and other pension plan critics, including protesters who congregated across France on Friday evening as the decision was being made.

Macron Secures Pension Reform Victory

The political opponents of Macron promised to maintain pressure on the government until the measure is withdrawn.

The council denied other pension bill provisions, but the higher retirement age was central to Macron's plan and the target of demonstrators' ire. Macron has 15 days to sign the measure into law.

In a distinct but related decision, the council denied the request of left-leaning legislators to hold a referendum on enshrining 62 as the utmost official retirement age. Next month, the council will decide on a similar request.

According to CBS News, a metal barrier was erected before the heavily guarded Constitutional Council, where security forces were stationed.

The council denied some pension bill provisions, but the higher retirement age was central to Macron's plan and the target of demonstrators' ire. The government argued that the reform is necessary to keep the pension system viable as the population ages.

Opponents proposed raising taxes on the affluent or employers instead and argued that the reforms endanger a hard-won social safety net.

Carl Pfeiffer, a 62-year-old retiree protesting in front of City Hall, cautioned that the Constitutional Council's decision would not resolve the conflict. He stated that the council members were irresponsible because the wrath that would ensue in the country was their responsibility.

Lena Cayo, a 22-year-old bartender, stated that she was disappointed but not astonished by the decision. As tensions mounted in the hours preceding the decision, Macron's office announced that he invited labor unions to meet with him on Tuesday regardless of the Constitutional Council's decision.

The unions rejected Macron's invitation, adding that he had previously declined their offers for a meeting, and urged for massive new demonstrations on May 1, international workers' rights day. Since January, unions have organized twelve nationwide demos and have played a crucial role in attempting to curb demonstrators' excessive reactions. Pockets of ultra-left militants have marred otherwise peaceful nationwide marches with violence.

Macron's proposal to increase the retirement age was intended to be his signature initiative in his second tenure. The council's decision concludes months of tumultuous parliamentary and street debates.

Before the nine-member council's decision, spontaneous demonstrations occurred throughout France. Opponents of the pension reform obstructed entrance points into certain cities, including Rouen in the west and Marseille in the south, thereby delaying or halting traffic.

French Protesters Torch Police Station

Meanwhile, shocking footage reveals French protesters torching a police station opposing Emmanuel Macron's pension reform. Following the announcement of the verdict, protesters and police clashed in multiple French cities.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered before the Paris city hall and jeered the court's decision. A violent rabble marched to Bastille Square, lit fires, and confronted the police, according to The Sun.

A police officer remarked, "This is an illegal march, and some of the participants intend violence."

The Council, located in the Royal Palace in the heart of Paris, is protected by an enormous security operation. A shocking video depicts the Place Sainte-Anne police station in Rennes engulfed in flames.

In other locations, such as Marseille and Toulouse, large-scale demonstrations erupted. Small parties parading through the downtown area of Lyon were dispersed with tear gas.

On Thursday, a throng attacked the Paris headquarters of luxury group LVMH, led by the richest man in the world, Bernard Arnault. In addition, there was extensive unrest near the Bastille, the original site of the French Revolution of 1789.

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