France is preparing on Monday for another mass protest and strike over President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed pension reform, with the government and its left-wing opponents blaming the expected disruption.
About 1.1 million people took to the streets for the first day of the strike on January 19, according to official statistics, the largest demonstration since the last pension reform under right-wing president Nicolas Sarkozy in 2010.
A police source told AFP that security forces were expecting similar-sized crowds on Tuesday at 240 demonstrations across the country, in addition to mass strike disruptions to transport, education and other services.
With unions warning more shutdowns are imminent, the strike is a key test for Macron as he seeks to implement a show-stopping policy for a second term.
The president’s ministers and his opponents are eager to dominate public opinion ahead of what they expect will be a bitter and costly if more attacks in the coming months.
Senior far-left lawmaker Mathilde Panot of the French Unbowed (LFI) party accused Macron and his ministers of being responsible for the shutdown which would damage public transport and other services.
“They are the ones who want to destroy the country,” said BFM TV while also criticizing Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin’s comments over the weekend as “provocation.”
Darmanin, a close Macron ally, said on Saturday that left-wing political parties “only want to destroy the country” and defend “idleness and champagne socialism.”
– Macron’s reputation –
The most controversial part of the proposed reforms is raising the minimum retirement age to 64 from the current level of 62, which is the lowest level in major European economies.
Macron made the changes part of his re-election manifesto in April last year and he stressed the need to guarantee the financing of the pension system in the future, which is predicted to be in deficit in the next few years.
Opponents point out that the system is now balanced and the head of the independent Pensions Advisory Council recently told parliament that “pension spending is out of control, but it’s still there.”
For the pro-business Macron, who has repeatedly told the French he “must work more”, failure to succeed with his signature proposal will damage his credibility for the rest of his second and final term, analysts say.
The government led by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has signaled that a number of steps will be taken when a parliamentary committee begins examining the draft law on Monday.
Conditions can be improved for those who start working at a young age, as well as for mothers who interrupt their careers to look after their children and for those who invest in further education, Borne advises.
Also read: France under attack over Macron’s pension reform plans
But the title’s age limit of 64 is not up for discussion, he said Sunday, calling it “non-negotiable.”
Laurent Berger, head of the CFDT union, warned that Borne “cannot remain deaf to this terrible mobilization.”
“Listen, listen, listen to this discontent,” he told France 2 TV.
Macron has so far commented on the tension, trying to stay on top of the day-to-day debate.
Darmanin’s intervention did not help reduce the strain, the tough-talking minister told Le Parisien every Saturday the left defended the idea of ”a society without work and effort”.
– Parliamentary War –
Most Paris metro and suburban services will be severely limited on Tuesday, operator RATP said, while intercity travel will be disrupted with only one high-speed TGV in three, according to SNCF.
Air travel was less affected with Air France saying it would cancel one in 10 short- and medium-haul services while adding long-haul would not be affected.
Only minor disruptions are expected on international Thalys and Eurostar train services.
Macron and his allies also face a struggle in parliament as well as on the streets.
The left-wing opposition has submitted more than 7,000 amendments to the draft law in an attempt to slow its way through parliament.
Also read: Macron’s reputation on the line with pension reform push
Macron’s centrist allies, who do not have an absolute majority in parliament, need votes from conservatives for the pension plan to be approved.
A new poll by survey group OpinionWay, published on Monday in Les Echos newspaper, showed that 61 percent of French people support the protest movement, an increase of 3.0 percentage points since January 12.
Darmanin said 11,000 police, including 4,000 in Paris, would be deployed on Tuesday across France to ensure the demonstrations passed peacefully.