French top court upholds Macron’s retirement age hike

April 14, 2023

France’s nine-member Constitutional Council on Friday upheld President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial plan to push through pension reforms in the country.

The plan, unveiled by the president in January, enraged French workers who have rebelled against raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. France has one of the industrialized world’s most generous retirement systems, with workers able to quit years before those in other countries.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne requested the Council review the proposed reform’s constitutionality after it was passed through the lower house of parliament by decree in March, bypassing a vote and prompting public anger.

Macron defends decision to force through pension reforms

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Major protests against the move

France has been rocked by general strikes and seen citizens engaged in pitched street battles with police as many aspects of daily life continue to affected by protests and strikes.

Friday was no different, with protesters blocking streets and highways across the country and demonstrations getting underway around noon in the capital Paris ahead of the Council’s decision.

The entrance to the Council was heavily fortified Friday, with fencing erected and armed police standing guard.

Center-left president Macron has said the plan is the only way to keep the country’s pension fund from collapsing and he hopes to put it into action before the end of the year.

This is the second time Macron has attempted the move. He dropped initial plans in March 2020, when the burden of the coronavirus pandemic and union-led protests forced him to back down.

Reelected last year, Macron failed to secure a parliamentary majority, setting up a make or break situation as he seeks to uphold his image as a reformer amid fierce resistance.

Opposition political parties have attempted to use the reform as yet another opportunity to frame the slick president as “out of touch” with the needs of normal French citizens.

js/msh (dpa, Reuters)