French President Emmanuel Macron says he regrets that the country’s government was unable to reach an agreement with the opposition and trade unions on the controversial reform.
President of France Emmanuel Macron addressed the French people on Monday night for the first time since signing the pension reform that has sparked numerous strikes and protests. The pre-recorded speech was presented in France at 9 pm Finnish time.
Macron said that he had taken into account the hostility of the citizens towards the new pension law. He regrets that the country’s government did not reach an agreement on the reform with the opposition and trade unions. However, he does not intend to cancel the new law.
– The reforms in question are necessary to ensure future pension payments and to increase people’s wealth, Macron said.
According to Macron, the aging of the population combined with the increase in life expectancy would soon lead to an unsustainable situation and government debt. According to the president, remaining inactive was not an option.
The president also said that he understands the people’s frustration with high inflation. He also said that he wants to improve people’s working conditions, and that he is ready to talk with the unions.
Macron hopes the French will put protests and strikes behind them and unite to solve the country’s economic problems.
– During the next 100 days, the government will form a coherent plan that will bring France back to its feet, Macron promised.
In the background, the controversial pension law and collapsed support
On Saturday, Macron signed a pension law extending working lives. A day earlier, the Constitutional Council gave the green light to the reviled pension reform.
With the reform, the retirement age in France will rise to 64. Also, people have to work for 43 years to get a full pension. The left and the trade unions have sworn that they will not accept the new law. They are planning new demonstrations for May Day.
French news channel France 24 (you switch to another service) according to several opinion polls have shown that the majority of French citizens oppose the pension reform forced through by the government.
At the same time, Macron’s approval ratings have fallen rapidly. In the French press, Macron’s pension reform has been considered a certain kind of “Pyrrhic victory”. The expression goes back to ancient Greece, where a king named Pyrrhos managed to defeat the Romans in battle. However, the king’s forces suffered such heavy losses at the same time that the victory ended up doing more harm than good.