France Archives - Page 3 of 15 - Pension Policy International

23AugAugust 23, 2023

How French pensions will change on September 1st

To say Macron's pension reforms were controversial is a bit of an understatement - back in 2019 the reforms led to the longest continuous transport strikes ever seen in France. The legislation was paused during the pandemic, but when it was re-introduced in 2023 there followed months of strikes and the biggest street protests in France since 1968. More than 2 million people took to the streets and there were violent clashes in French cities including Paris, Rennes and Nantes. Eventually,...

August 23, 2023

NewsFrance, Pension Reform, Regulation

08JunJune 8, 2023

French parliament chief to block bid to axe pension reform

The law was enacted following months of mass protests via a controversial constitutional mechanism whereby the government avoided a vote in the lower-house National Assembly. Speaker Yael Braun-Pivet, who is from President Emmanuel Macron's centrist party but is officially neutral, confirmed she would reject on constitutional grounds the bid to introduce new legislation, infuriating its backers. Speaking to BFM television, she said an amendment proposed by the small LIOT faction in parliament and backed by left-wing parties would be declared "inadmissible". She...

June 8, 2023

News, UncategorizedFrance, Pension Reform

06JunJune 6, 2023

French unions make ultimate push to derail pension reform

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets across France on Tuesday for what will be the fourteenth day of demonstrations since January to oppose French President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform. Authorities expect up to 600,000 people at the demonstrations nationwide, less than half the peak on 7 March, when 1.28 million were counted by police. In contrast to the earlier phase of the movement, only limited disruption is expected on public transport though some flight cancellations...

June 6, 2023

NewsFrance, Pension Reform

22MayMay 22, 2023

France pension protest held on outskirts of Cannes Film Festival

Protests over pension reforms have roiled France in recent months, but demonstrations have been kept largely at bay at one of the country’s glitziest events, the Cannes Film Festival. On Sunday, dozens of protesters gathered in Cannes to oppose the raising of the reforms pushed through parliament by President Emmanuel Macron’s government. Those protests, however, were far removed from the central hub of the festival, the Palais des Festivals, or Cannes’ seaside boulevard, the Croisette. Instead, they gathered on the...

May 22, 2023

NewsFrance, Pension Reform

16MayMay 16, 2023

Macron promises €2 billion in tax cuts for French middle class

As part of his continued attempt to move past his government’s contentious pensions reform, French President Emmanuel Macron has announced two billion euros of tax cuts for the middle class before the end of his term. In a televised interview Monday evening, Macron said he wants to “concentrate” two billion euros of tax cuts on people “who work hard, who want to raise their children well and who today, because the cost of living has increased… have trouble making ends...

May 16, 2023

NewsFrance, Pension Reform, Taxation

02MayMay 2, 2023

After pan-bashing, France’s Macron faces labour day protests

France's President Emmanuel Macron faces more nationwide protests on Monday as he seeks to steer the country on from a divisive pension law that has sparked anger, pan-bashing and social unrest. Last month he signed a law to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, despite months of strikes against the bill. He and his government have since tried to turn the page on the episode of popular discontent, one of the biggest challenges to his second mandate. But protesters have...

May 2, 2023

NewsFrance, Pension Reform

18AprApril 18, 2023

French President Macron says he hears people’s anger but insists pension change was needed

French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that he heard people’s anger over raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, but insisted that it was needed to keep the pension system afloat as the population ages. In many cities, opponents to the pension law took to the streets to bang pots and pans during Macron’s televised address to the nation, with the rallying cry: “Macron won’t listen to us? We won’t listen to him!” In Paris, the gatherings quickly turned into...

April 18, 2023

NewsFrance, Pension Reform, Retirement Age

17AprApril 17, 2023

Macron to address France after ‘Pyrrhic’ pensions victory

President Emmanuel Macron is on Monday to address France for the first time since signing into law his controversial pension reform, facing warnings the political and social crisis it sparked is not over. Macron signed the legislation early Saturday, just hours after the banner change to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 had been validated by the constitutional court, prompting accusations he was smuggling the law through in the dead of night. After three months of protests and strikes,...

April 17, 2023

NewsFrance, Pension Reform, Retirement Age

14AprApril 14, 2023

Constitutional Council approves Macron’s controversial French pension reform

The Constitutional Court, the country’s highest authority on constitutional matters, on Friday handed down its ruling on whether the pension reform – which among other things raises the pension age from 62 to 64 – was constitutional. As there is no appeal against court decisions, a refusal would have been a crushing blow for Macron’s government – but the court announced on Friday evening that the major parts of the reform were approved. The court also rejected a request for a...

April 14, 2023

NewsFrance, Pension Reform, Retirement Age

13AprApril 13, 2023

New protests in France over Macron plan to raise pension age

Protesters opposing President Emmanuel Macron’s unpopular plan to raise the retirement age to 64 marched Thursday in cities and towns around France, in a final show of anger before a decision on whether the measure meets constitutional standards. Hours before the Paris march got underway, protesters piled bags of garbage in front of the Constitutional Council, which is expected to decide Friday whether to nix any or all parts of the legislation. The trash piles were cleaned up but signaled the...

April 13, 2023

NewsFrance, Pension Reform

August 2023

How French pensions will change on September 1st

June 2023

French parliament chief to block bid to axe pension reform

French unions make ultimate push to derail pension reform

May 2023

France pension protest held on outskirts of Cannes Film Festival

Macron promises €2 billion in tax cuts for French middle class

After pan-bashing, France’s Macron faces labour day protests

April 2023

French President Macron says he hears people’s anger but insists pension change was needed

Macron to address France after ‘Pyrrhic’ pensions victory

Constitutional Council approves Macron’s controversial French pension reform

New protests in France over Macron plan to raise pension age