At the same time that thousands of French citizens were demonstrating in the streets, the Senate yesterday approved the pension reform promoted by President Emmanuel Macron.
“An important step was taken,” Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne declared, after 195 senators voted in favor and 112 against.
According to different polls, two out of three Frenchmen oppose the executive’s plan to delay the retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030 and to bring forward to 2027 the requirement to contribute 43 years (and not 42 as before) to collect a full board.
France: More popular demonstrations against the pension reform
“When there are millions of people in the streets, when there are strikes and all we get from the other side is silence, people ask: What else do we have to do to be heard?” said Philippe Martinez, leader of the CGT union, who stressed the demand for a referendum on the reform.
The bill will be reviewed by a joint committee of lawmakers from both chambers, likely on Wednesday. If the commission reaches an agreement on the text, a final vote is likely to be held on Thursday. However, the outcome seems uncertain in the National Assembly, where Macron’s party needs the votes of its allies to win a majority.
The unions are planning a new day of strikes and protests throughout France next Wednesday.
