PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron signed his unpopular pension reform into law on Saturday, prompting accusations from unions and the left that he was showing “contempt” for those behind a three-month protest movement.
The amendments became law after the text was published before dawn in France’s official journal, with the livid opposition claiming that Macron had moved to smuggle it through under cover of night.
The publication came just hours after the approval on Friday by the Constitutional Council of the essence of the legislation, including the headline change of raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.
The standoff with unions and the left has become the biggest challenge of the second mandate of Macron, who will now address France on the crisis on Monday evening, the Elysee presidential palace said.
Trade unions called for mass Labour Day protests on May 1, and sometimes violent demonstrations erupted in several cities including Paris overnight after the court verdict was announced.
Socialist leader Olivier Faure said Macron’s swift signing of the law showed “disdain” towards the protest movement while hard-left MP Francois Ruffin called it a “democratic hold-up”.
Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2023
