French President Macron is setting an example: Raising the retirement age could solve financial and demographic problems, even if workers hate the idea
MarketWatchMar 16, 2023
After protests erupted against his controversial pension reform, French Pres. Macron's government survived two votes of no-confidence on Monday. Government officials filed motions for the vote after Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne used a special constitutional power, called Article 49:3, to push the bill through without a vote last week.
The first of the two proposals came from a centrist group and came just nine votes short of the 287 needed to pass. The other came from the right-wing National Rally and garnered 94 votes.
There comes a time when a leader must make a difficult and unpopular decision for the long-term betterment of his society, and Emmanuel Macron did that in his efforts to save France’s pension problem. France’s demographics make it nearly impossible to maintain the status quo — the ratio of workers to retirees shows insolvency in the near future. Macron made a tough political decision to save France’s pension program.
Macron’s government has defied the will of the French people, and it should have fallen. The grassroots support shows how much Macron’s constituents oppose his policy, and to make matters worse, Macron used undemocratic means to advance his unpopular pension reform. French democracy looks more like a farce each day, and Macron’s government does not represent the people.