The French Constitutional Council has approved a plan to raise the retirement age to 64, a major victory for President Macron despite months of mass protests. The decision has been met with strong opposition from unions and other groups, who have held mass protests in recent months. The ruling is likely to further anger protesters, who have already clashed with police in recent weeks, and it remains to be seen how the public will respond in the coming weeks.
Posts tagged as “Emmanuel Macron”
Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu has condemned China's recent military exercises around the island, warning that Beijing appears to be preparing for war. US and China have both sent warships to the region and the US has increased arms sales to Taiwan, while French President Emmanuel Macron has called for Europe to become a "third pole" independent of both Washington and Beijing. Wu expressed confidence in Taiwanese preparations, as the international community watches the situation closely.
Russian prosecutors have requested a 25-year prison sentence for Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza, in a case widely condemned by international human rights organizations. Kara-Murza has been a vocal opponent of President Vladimir Putin and has been arrested multiple times for his activism against the government. The sentencing request comes amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with Chinese President Xi Jinping expressing willingness to speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
For the tenth consecutive day, tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of France to demonstrate against President Emmanuel Macron's proposed pension reforms. The Interior Minister has warned of radical demonstrators intending to cause destruction and violence, and up to 900,000 protesters are expected to take part in 240 rallies throughout the country. Demonstrations have already caused major disruptions to services across the country, and no sign of the anger abating.
King Charles III's state visit to France has been postponed due to the recent social unrest in Paris and other cities across France. The decision was taken by the British and French governments after trade unions called for a further day of nationwide strikes and demonstrations during the King’s visit. The protests are in response to Macron’s changes to the pension system, and the Elysee Palace has not yet announced when the King’s visit will be rescheduled.
On March 23, 2023, France experienced widespread labor strikes and protests in response to President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms, causing major disruptions in transportation and 400 high schools being blockaded by students. Videos of un-emptied dumpsters set alight and police firing tear gas were seen on social media. The pension reforms have been met with public anger, and the government is yet to comment on the protests, leaving the future of the reforms uncertain.
Thousands of people took to the streets of France on Saturday night to protest President Emmanuel Macron's plan to raise the state pension age without a parliamentary vote. The largely non-violent protests included clashes with police and the throwing of an effigy of Macron into a fountain. Municipal authorities have banned rallies on Paris’s central Place de la Concorde and nearby Champ-Elysees, but it is unclear how long the protests will continue.
Thousands of French citizens took to the streets in protest on Thursday evening in response to President Emmanuel Macron's decision to pass pension reforms without a vote from the lower house. Polling from IFOP shows that the majority of French citizens find the decision unjustified, and protests have broken out in Paris and other cities. Smoke was seen rising early Friday over Gare du Lyon, a busy rail station in Paris, as the government faces increasing pressure to abandon the reforms.