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Protesters on 19 January. Alamy Stock Photo

France braces for new strikes against pension age increase

Around 1.1 million people took to the streets for the first strike day on 19 January and police expect a similar number tomorrow.

FRANCE BRACED TODAY for another day of mass protests and strikes over proposed pension overhauls being pushed by President Emmanuel Macron, with the government and its left-wing opponents trading blame for the expected disruptions.

Around 1.1 million people took to the streets for the first strike day on 19 January, according to official statistics, the biggest demonstrations since the last major round of pension reform under right-wing president Nicolas Sarkozy in 2010.

A police source told AFP that security forces were expecting similarly sized crowds tomorrow in 240 demonstrations around the country, in addition to strike disruptions to transport, schools and other services.

With unions warning that more stoppages are to come, the strikes represent a major test for Macron as he seeks to implement a showcase policy of his second term in office.

The most controversial part of the proposed reform is hiking the minimum retirement age to 64 from 62, which is the lowest level in any major European economy.

Macron said today that the reform was “essential when we compare ourselves to the rest of Europe”.

But Mathilde Panot, a senior lawmaker from the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, has accused the centrist president and his ministers of being responsible for the stoppages that are to cripple public transport and other services.

“They’re the ones who want to wreak havoc on the country,” she told BFM television while also criticising comments by Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin over the weekend as a “provocation.”

Darmanin, a close Macron ally, said Saturday that left-wing political parties were “only looking to screw up the country” and were defending “idleness and champagne socialism”.

Macron’s reputation

Macron, who made the pension changes part of his re-election manifesto last year, says it is needed to guarantee the future financing of the pension system, which is forecast to tip into deficit in the next few years.

Opponents point out that the system is currently balanced, noting that the head of the independent Pensions Advisory Council recently told parliament that “pension spending is not out of control, it’s relatively contained”.

For Macron, who has repeatedly told French people they “need to work more”, failure to succeed with a signature proposal would severely undermine his credibility for the remainder of his second and last term in office, analysts say.

The government headed by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has signalled there is wiggle room on some measures as parliamentary committees started examining the draft law today.

Conditions could be improved for people who started working very young, or for mothers who interrupted their careers to look after children and people who invested in further education, Borne has suggested.

But the headline age limit of 64 is not up for discussion, she said Sunday, calling it “non-negotiable”.

Laurent Berger, head of the CFDT union, warned that the government “cannot remain deaf to this formidable mobilisation.”

“Listen, listen, listen to this discontent,” he told France 2 television.

Parliamentary battle

Most Paris metro and suburban rail services will be severely restricted tomorrow, said operator RATP, while intercity travel will be disrupted with just one in three high-speed TGV trains running, according to SNCF.

Air travel is less badly affected, with Air France saying it would cancel one in 10 short and medium haul services while long-distance flights would be unaffected.

Only minor disruption is expected on international Thalys and Eurostar train services.

Around half of all nursery and primary school teachers would be striking, the main teachers’ union Snuipp-FSU said.

Macron and his allies are also facing struggles in parliament as well as on the street.

The left-wing opposition has submitted more than 7,000 amendments to the draft legislation in a bid to slow its path through parliament.

Macron’s centrist allies, short of an absolute majority in parliament, will need votes from conservatives to get the pensions plan approved.

A new poll by the OpinionWay survey group, published in the Les Echos financial daily today, showed that 61 percent of French people supported the protest movement, a rise of three percentage points from 12 January.

– © AFP 2023

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    Mute Ray James Franco Browne
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    Jul 31st 2017, 12:54 PM

    In my bedroom/living room in front of my tv because I live in a bedsit. If I had a separate dining room I would eat there, just to have something different.

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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Jul 31st 2017, 1:31 PM

    @Ray James Franco Browne:

    That’s a bit like me. I usually have my breakfast in the breakfast room, my lunch in the sunroom and my dinner in the dining room. Our breakfast room is currently under refurbishment so I now have to eat my breakfast in the dining room! It’s like a madhouse at the moment! I’ve put Geoffrey on notice and told him that I don’t know how much longer I can put up with it

    378
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    Mute O Swetenham
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    Jul 31st 2017, 12:59 PM

    Usually have my dinner in the alley behind McDonald’s. You’d be surprised with how many perfectly good chicken mcnuggets they leave in the dumpsters back there.

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    Mute Matt Connolly
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    Jul 31st 2017, 1:25 PM

    but how many “kitchen-eaters” have a telly in their kitchen or use their phone/tablet/laptop??

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Jul 31st 2017, 2:59 PM

    @Matt Connolly: ah but that’s not the question being asked .. that makes for a whole different poll .

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    Mute Ollie Watson
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    Aug 1st 2017, 7:41 PM

    @Matt Connolly: I don’t it’s a good time to talk with your family

    1
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    Mute ktsiwot
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    Jul 31st 2017, 12:47 PM

    In the kitchen, in the middle of the day.

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    Mute Jamie
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    Jul 31st 2017, 1:02 PM

    In the toilet

    56
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    Mute Harry Corry
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    Jul 31st 2017, 1:08 PM

    @Jamie: That’s not surprising Jamie. It’s been quite obvious from your comments that you dwell in a toilet. Most trolls do…

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    Mute George Salter
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    Jul 31st 2017, 1:37 PM

    @Harry Corry: I thought trolls preferred under bridges? Or is The Billy Goats Gruff a myth like Santa?!

    18
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    Mute mark kenny
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    Jul 31st 2017, 3:10 PM

    @Harry Corry:

    Just a thought,but why do people reoly to trolls?

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    Mute mark kenny
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    Jul 31st 2017, 3:18 PM

    @mark kenny:

    * reply

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    Mute @UK
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    Jul 31st 2017, 1:27 PM

    What’s a dining room?
    In open plan living/kitchen areas most people probably eat at the table in front of the telly

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    Mute Spilt Pint
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    Jul 31st 2017, 10:21 PM

    @UK; When I was growing up in our house we only really used it at Christmas. It was a room with a long table, sideboard for the china & silverware and a service hatch through from the kitchen. No TV or distractions and very old-fashioned.

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    Mute Alan Scott
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    Jul 31st 2017, 12:59 PM

    Mind your own business it has nothing to do with you

    62
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    Mute Sean Kelly
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    Jul 31st 2017, 1:09 PM

    @Alan Scott: I think your taking it a bit too literally. Its a poll. Don’t take it so seriously. For example I eat my dinner whilst on the jax in the middle of a cliffhanger. No need to be so aloof my friend…

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    Mute Alan Scott
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    Jul 31st 2017, 1:14 PM

    @Sean Kelly: Just a bit of fun Sean on a Monday am. Don’t take me to seriously I am sorry to anyone who might have the same view as Sean. I will try and conduct myself on the next poll.

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    Mute Louis Jacob
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    Jul 31st 2017, 1:21 PM

    @Alan Scott: now I really do want to know where you eat your dinner.

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    Mute Gordon Hughes
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    Jul 31st 2017, 1:21 PM

    In my mouth most of the time . But there is the occassional “10 second rule” applied to food that managed to hit the deck first

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Jul 31st 2017, 2:16 PM

    @Gordon Hughes: it’s a 5 second rule …

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    Mute Jho Harris
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    Jul 31st 2017, 2:31 PM

    @Suzie Sunshine: Not when you have a dog which makes it a split second rule.

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Jul 31st 2017, 2:58 PM

    @Jho Harris: lol very true !

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    Mute Joseph Bloggs
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    Jul 31st 2017, 3:40 PM

    @Jho Harris: well that’s just called ‘sharing’. But don’t let the dog get used to anything fancy. Don’t want them having notions because you dropped a bit of steak once!

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    Mute PaulOD
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    Jul 31st 2017, 1:32 PM

    Off a plate

    21
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    Mute Joseph Bloggs
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    Jul 31st 2017, 2:05 PM

    Slow news day.

    11
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    Mute Karl Bauer
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    Jul 31st 2017, 3:33 PM

    I haven’t eaten dinner in about 4 years. Decent breakfast, Decent lunch, at most a cuppa with a bit of toast at dinner time.

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    Mute Don Juan
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    Jul 31st 2017, 1:12 PM

    Standing up

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    Mute Rui Firmino
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    Jul 31st 2017, 1:45 PM

    tomorrow. “When do you usually poop?

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    Mute Thomas Maher
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    Jul 31st 2017, 3:03 PM

    @Rui Firmino: Between 6:30 am and 7am. Before I have to leave for work.

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    Mute Joseph Bloggs
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    Jul 31st 2017, 3:38 PM

    @Thomas Maher: not long after a coffee. Always greases the wheels.

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    Mute Rui Firmino
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    Jul 31st 2017, 4:40 PM

    @Thomas Maher: Me too!!

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    Mute Gerben Uunk
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    Jul 31st 2017, 2:48 PM

    Skipping dinner included too? Breakfast is most important meal of the day anyways. A healthy lifestyle vital ! Our mental body is in a constant Go-Go mode, but our
    physicial structure requires some rest too, and no foods are needed a small while before sleep, often its just so-called comfort eating.

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    Mute gerry fallon
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    Jul 31st 2017, 6:43 PM

    On my lap!

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    Mute Danny Halpin
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    Jul 31st 2017, 6:32 PM

    It should always be eaten in kitchen

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    Mute Shawn Rahoon
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    Jul 31st 2017, 4:24 PM

    In my mouth.

    3
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    Mute Ronan Kealy
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    Jul 31st 2017, 6:10 PM

    On a plate.

    1
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    Mute Catherine Sims
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    Jul 31st 2017, 4:25 PM

    Don’t bother with dinner .

    1
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    Mute Brian O Reilly
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    Jul 31st 2017, 4:09 PM

    Off of a plate

    1
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    Mute Quentin Moriarty
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    Aug 1st 2017, 4:19 AM

    In the attic with sandals and a crude candle

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    Mute Johanna Donohue
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    Jul 31st 2017, 9:46 PM

    In the bathroom

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    Mute Ken Pepper
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    Jul 31st 2017, 7:40 PM

    On my penny farthing sashaying through dalkey

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    Mute Spilt Pint
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    Jul 31st 2017, 10:27 PM

    @Ken; I’d be curious to see someone sashay on a bike, it’s normally descriptive of walking/dancing.

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