Emmanuel Macron felt “the anger of the French” for raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, but “the changes were necessary”. This is, in summary, what the French president said in his television speech at 8 pm yesterday, April 17, his first speech after the promulgation of the disputed pension reform, in which he reiterated that the reform will begin to be applied “progressively in autumn”.
“Adopted in accordance with the provisions of our Constitution, the changes were necessary to ensure everyone’s pension and to produce more wealth for our nation”, is Macron’s argument, who added that “while the number of pensioners increases, while our life expectancy lengthens, the answer could not have been to lower pensions, but to increase the contribution of those who work”.
The latest televised speech kicks off an arguably tough battle for the French president, who is trying to undo the image and political damage caused by passing the pension plan through parliament last month despite the protests that enflame the Country for months. Even as he spoke to the nation, hundreds of people were banging pots and pans in front of town halls and windows to show they didn’t want to hear what the president had to say since he didn’t, they say, listen to them. “Is this an accepted reform? Obviously not. Despite months of consultations, no consensus could be found. I regret it and we must draw all the lessons from it,” Macron said.
