Millions of French have stirred up the streets of France since the beginning of the year. A leitmotiv: they do not want the pension reform whose flagship measure is the decrease in the retirement age from 62 to 64 years.
For the sixth day of mobilization this Tuesday, March 7, the movement promises to be more massive and tougher than the previous ones and this time. A “historic” day for unions.
While inflation is skyrocketing, the recession has been knocking on our door for several months and the war in Ukraine threatens to drag on, why have the French decided to demonstrate against pensions?
The most angry expression?
Si les syndicats martèlent depuis plusieurs mois leur opposition massive et unanimous au report de l’âge de départ à la retraite, des voix diffuses et moins perceptibles s’immiscent parfois dans les discussions pour address ces autres problemes qui plombent le quotidien et bouchent les horizons French.
During a recent interview with the newspaper La Marseillaise, Frédéric Souillot, Secretary General of Force Ouvrière, said nothing less: “The pension reform was a bubbling pressure cooker with inflation, rising energy costs, not the wage increases… Reform is the catalyst.”
For Jean-Claude Ducatte, president of the EPSY consultancy, “there is a gigantic resentment.” “Almost all the French have reason to be extremely discontented with their rulers,” he notes. Pensions, inflation, fuel, the impression of not being listened to… he lists the points that he considers sources of French frustration.
So why end up in pensions? For him, if they do not demonstrate against other issues it would be because “the retreat is clean.” He details, explaining that there are problems that are more difficult to admit than others, and among these are the difficulties to make ends meet.
By rallying around the pensions text, unions knew they could rally more people than on historically less unifying issues.
Behind pensions, inflation
Make noise to finally be heard. But about what? It is clear, in fact, that the French are not without reason to protest. At the top of the list: runaway inflation.
Food prices, in particular, have something to upset consumers, especially with further price increases looming in the coming weeks. In our cars, inflation reached 14.5% in February and the negotiations between manufacturers and distributors that ended last week will increase this increase by between 4 and an additional 7% in certain products.
And there is energy. Electricity prices have skyrocketed in France in recent months, precipitating, among other things, the bankruptcy of small businesses.
War in the Ukraine, low morale, back wages… the list goes on in this time of confusion and change, but for now, the disgruntled French have chosen their fight: pensions.
Source: BFM TV
