France. Reshaping pensions: President Macron’s ambitious plans
France has a complex, inequitable pensions system; and a powerful, well dug-in set of unions. The president’s stated goals have put him on a collision course with both: David Whitehouse considers his policy of equal benefits for equal contributions
‘Demography is destiny’ is a powerful idea – and one with substantive repercussions for developed countries facing ageing populations, increased life expectancy and rising incidents of long-term medical conditions, while saddled with pension systems conceived in a different era.
It seems the phrase was coined half a century ago by academic authors considering the outlook for US politics, but it’s long been associated with the 19th-century French political philosopher Auguste Comte. It certainly fits with his positivist intellectual tradition, rooted in the conviction that every problem has a scientifically identifiable solution, which has underpinned French policy making in modern times.
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