The controversial pension reforms also leave their mark on the image of President Macron. “He is already seen as technocratic and distant,” says French specialist Niek Pas. “The French think he’s a cold frog.”
Last night, the French parliament voted a no-confidence motion after Macron’s government pushed through controversial pension reforms without parliamentary consent. But it was unsuccessful. “The anger of the French is now mainly directed at Macron himself, not at his government,” says Stefan de Vries, BNR’s Europe correspondent. “So now it really has an image problem.”
Clear point
Yet De Vries also sees a positive note: «The pension reforms are part of a dossier that has been on the desks of French presidents for thirty years. No president has managed to change anything. But now he is.’
The president had to use article 49.3 of the French constitution for this. He says the government can ratify laws without the consent of parliament, provided it survives a vote of no confidence. This is a controversial article. This is why the French are now pouring into the streets and are now rioting and protesting again.”
According to historian and France specialist Niek Pas, the French are so angry because of the sacred status that pensions have in France. “For many French people, retirement is an achievement, the flagship of the solidarity and social security system,” he says. “It’s a pay-as-you-go system where young people work for the pensions of the elderly.”
But according to Macron that system is not sustainable. As France’s population ages, it is becoming increasingly expensive to fund all pensions on a pay-as-you-go basis. “And the pension system in France is already incredibly low,” says De Vries. ‘The average French pension is 1,200 euros. In the Netherlands it is 3,000 euros, because we save too».
No water with the wine
Although Macron therefore deems reforms necessary, at least seventy percent of French people strongly disagree. “The question then is how it will reconnect with the population,” says Pas. Knowing Macron, he will explain exactly what he wants to do. He clearly indicated: that’s it, no referendum, no escapes, no water with wine. But he will still have to find a way to establish contact ».
“I think Macron will try to convince the older population of the usefulness of the reform,” says De Vries. ‘It’s purely to reassure the fans, but little will change in terms of content and politics. At least it is clear that the little popularity that Macron still had has now really vanished.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
