French President Emmanuel Macron signed a deeply unpopular bill on Saturday to raise the country’s retirement age, infuriating unions who pledged to continue months-long protests against the measure.
The enactment of the law in the country’s official gazette comes hours after France’s Constitutional Council approved raising the retirement age in a decision on Friday.
The legislation, which will progressively raise the age for receiving a state pension from 62 to 64, should enter into force on 1 September.
The swift enactment of the law infuriated unions who had urged the government to wait to defuse tensions.
“This is a totally shameful decision,” Sophie Binet, head of the CGT union, told Franceinfo radio. “He (Macron) slammed the door in our faces once again.”
Unions have called on workers to participate in May 1 Labor Day marches. Binet said further action would take place on April 20 and 28, while railway workers’ unions called for a day of “anger” on April 20.
Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt downplayed the timing of the enactment, telling France Culture radio that the government wanted to talk to unions about other social issues.
Following the announcement of the Constitutional Council’s decision, crowds marched through Paris on Friday night, with some rubbish bins ablaze, while the entrance to a police station was set on fire in the northwestern city of Rennes.
Public hostility has increased since the government, which lacks a majority in parliament, passed the bill in March without a final vote.
Macron, whose invitation to the unions for a meeting on Tuesday was rejected, will give a televised speech on Monday evening, French media reported. The president’s office did not immediately confirm the speech.
“Never give up, that’s my motto,” the president said on Friday, ahead of the verdict of the Constitutional Council, as he visited Notre-Dame on the anniversary of the fire that destroyed the famous Paris cathedral.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
