In the volatile streets of Paris, Macron may be winning his war of attrition against the unions
CBC
Amid the sea of political flags, balloons and posters carried through Paris streets this week by opponents of President Emmanuel Macron, it was one by France's small Communist party that perhaps most accurately captured the mood of the giant demonstration.
"Macron is scornful of the Republic," it proclaimed, featuring a stone-faced president, dressed in royal regalia channelling France's King Louis XIV, a monarch who centralized power and who his critics complained liked to bask in his own glory.
"King Emmanuel I," as Macron is now referred to by many of his detractors, has been waging an existential fight with the country's powerful labour movement for the better part of three months, with each side trying to exhaust the other into capitulating on the contentious issue of pension reform.
The country and the capital Paris were rocked by yet more enormous protests Tuesday resulting from the 10th general strike called by union members. Unions say upwards of two million attended, whereas France's interior ministry puts the figure at 750,000.
Whatever the figure, the cumulative impact on France's economy of the disruption has been significant.
On Tuesday, businesses were shuttered, train and transit systems were closed and famous tourist attractions such as the Eiffel Tower became off-limits, infuriating visitors and depriving the economy of much-needed post-COVID tourism revenue.
France's government even asked Britain's King Charles III to postpone his visit, robbing Macron of the chance to greet the monarch in the Palace of Versaille, France's old royal residence.
Macron, 45, a former investment banker, has said his goal is to make France's economy more internationally competitive and ensure the long-term viability of the country's cherished public pension plan.
His intentions aren't a surprise: he made a run at pension reform during his first term as president but abandoned it in the wake of street protests and the COVID-19 pandemic.
WATCH | Protests rage on in France:
The latest contentious overhaul would mean most people would have to work for two extra years until they're 64 before collecting any benefits.
While that's younger than in Canada, where most people can qualify at 65, French union members argue the country has much higher productivity rates than other industrialized economies.
Opponents say that means Macron is forcing French employees to double down, and work both harder and longer before they retire.
The legislation would also extend the length of time people must contribute to draw a full pension from 42 to 43 years. However, the lowest-income pensioners would also see their income increase by up to five per cent.
