Tuesday March 7, they were 1.28 million according to the Ministry of the Interior to march everywhere in France, to protest against the pension reform, on the occasion of the sixth day of mobilization. For the foreign press, which closely follows the social movement, the extension of the protest is a sign that the opposition of the French remains important, but also the translation of the political risk taken by Emmanuel Macron by maintaining such an unpopular and non-urgent reform. , in a country already divided.
“A little over a week before the final adoption of the reform by the elected officials, this new showdown was intended to be the start of a [nouveau] bras de fer »between the unions and the government, recounts The duty. The Quebec daily reports the renewal of the strike decided by “the most combative unions, such as those of the SNCF and the RATP ” or “CGT-Chemistry, [qui] announced a blockage of fuel deliveries to all refineries.
The Swiss daily The weather, talks about a new part of the mobilization which opened on March 7 in the form “moment of truth”while the Spanish daily The country estimate that “French unions launched the biggest challenge to President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday over his unpopular pension reform”showing that “the social movement does not weaken”.
“Time is running out – all the more reason to turn up the heat”
‘Many wonder if Tuesday will mark the start of a reinvigorated movement that could force the government’s hand, or if it will instead be a final cry of frustration that will linger in the air before fading away’for his part summed up the New York Times on the evening of the day of action.
According to BBCthe hardening of the mobilization noted since Tuesday is explained by the fact that ” unions and the left know time is running out before reform becomes a reality – all the more reason to turn up the heat now”. “For Macron, this is a very delicate political moment”notes the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, which develops:
“He was counting on the success of the pension reform to start his second and final presidential term, but the united opposition of Nupes and all the unions means that the reform is seen as an unpopular and right-wing measure. »
And “Mr Macron no doubt hopes that support for strikes will gradually decrease”, “the extent of popular opposition in a context of a cost of living crisis (…) should give the president something to think about”, writes the British daily The Guardian, in a critical editorial published on March 8. Especially since raising the retirement age to 64 “is a political choice, rather than an economic imperative”.
The risk of paving the way for the far right
While the French Head of State has not “parliamentary majority”the British newspaper returns to the possibility that the reform will be adopted by ordinance, arguing that it is a “tricky ground” on which Emmanuel Macron “should still proceed with extreme caution” : “It would be bad for French democracy and a gift for Mme Le Pen, who successfully exploited the crisis. »
An observation on the political risks of the reform shared by the British financial magazine The Economiston the eve of the mobilization: ” At any rate [sur le moyen usé pour faire adopter le texte], Unless Mr Macron manages to persuade the French of its merits, he could end up with a successful reform under his belt, but a country full of bitterness and resentment. »
“If Mr. Macron does not bend, he risks consolidating his image of “Jupiter”, who gives orders from above and takes advice from few people”also advance the New York Times. « Fai[re] pass the pension reform despite its unpopularity” would run the risk for the government of seeing the “disappointment worsen” in France, and “push[er] voters to the extremes for the next elections ».
“This week, the entire country is collectively entering the hot phase of the conflict. But the loser is already known. His name is Emmanuel Macron”, even goes so far as to lash The mirrorin an opinion piece published on March 8, judging that “Macron, who wanted to reform France, fails”, despite his “two terms to keep his promise”. Evoking a “failed pension reform”Who ” illustrates particularly clearly the gap between ambition and reality”the German daily thinks that the French head of state is in the process of ” consumes[r] now the little and all the more precious political capital that he had drawn from his victory against Le Pen a year ago”, in the 2022 presidential election.
“After the laborious conflict over pensions, we can already see it, Macron will no longer dare to do anything ambitious in domestic policy”added The mirrorjudging that “Macron’s error on pensions is not the supposed radicality of the reform but its lack of radicality”. “For Marine Le Pen, on the other hand, everything is going well. She has every chance of succeeding in 2027 the man who once promised to prevent her from getting there.he concludes by way of alarm.