By Sylvie Corbet and Thomas Adamson | Associated Press
PARIS — Ongoing unrest across France and calls for a new round of demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension plan persuaded officials to postpone a planned state visit next week by Britain’s King Charles III.
Charles had been scheduled to arrive in France on Sunday to celebrate France and Britain’s renewed friendship. But the protests and strikes against Macron’s decision to raise France’s retirement age from 62 to 64 promised to impact his visit, with workers refusing to roll out the red carpet for the king’s arrival.
Violence peaked during Thursday’s ninth union-organized nationwide marches. Over 450 protesters were arrested in Paris and beyond as demonstrations nationwide drew more than a million people.
There were scattered protest actions on Friday. Train traffic was slowed, rows of trucks blocked access to Marseille’s port for several hours and debris littered the streets of Paris.
Macron has made the proposed pension changes the priority of his second term, arguing they are needed to keep the pension system from diving into deficit as France, like many richer nations, faces lower birth rates and longer life expectancy.
Anger over the plan has increasingly turned into broader opposition to Macron’s leadership, both in parliament and on the streets. His insistence this week that the retirement measure be implemented by the end of the year prompted critics to describe him as “self-satisfied,” “out of touch” and “offensive.”
During his first term, Macron’s government made other changes it said would make France’s labor market more flexible and revitalize the economy. Those included making it easier to hire and fire workers, cutting business taxes, and making it more difficult for the unemployed to claim benefits. Critics argue the changes fray an important social safety net.
Countries across Europe have been raising pension ages. Retirement rules vary…
Read the full article here
