Europe The street challenges Macron

France lives this Saturday the third day of protests and spontaneous mobilizations against Emmanuel Macron's pension reform, which is opposed by the majority of the French and which was approved by decree on Thursday

Europe The street challenges Macron

France lives this Saturday the third day of protests and spontaneous mobilizations against Emmanuel Macron's pension reform, which is opposed by the majority of the French and which was approved by decree on Thursday. After the two days of violence and riots, the French Police prohibited the concentrations in the Place de la Concorde in Paris, in its surroundings and on the Champs Elysees, given "the serious risks of disturbance of public order and security".

Despite the ban, the protesters changed the meeting point and concentrated in Plaza de Italia, where thousands of people gathered and scenes of tension were repeated, with barricades, burning containers, police charges and clashes with the agents, who had to disperse the demonstrators.

The police had previously shielded the Plaza de la Concordia to prevent access, as there were protesters trying to gain access. This square, which is next to the Assembly, has become the symbol of the protests. Riots have been repeated since Thursday. On Friday there were 4,000 demonstrators and the Police had to evacuate the square, with 60 detainees. The previous day there were 300 others throughout the country. In addition to the protest in the capital, other spontaneous ones were also held in other French cities, such as Marseille, Bordeaux, Toulon or Montpellier.

The approval on Thursday of the pension reform by decree, without a vote by the Assembly, has opened the box of thunder, after two months of protests and peaceful demonstrations. Emmanuel Macron, who already lived through the yellow vest revolt in his first term, is facing a new protest movement. The fuse has been lit in the street and there is a risk that it will increase.

Citizen pressure against the controversial reform is joined by that of the seats. On Monday, the two motions of censure presented by two groups will be voted on: that of the far-right Marine Le Pen and the independent group Liot, the smallest in the Assembly. Their motion is the one with the best chance of success, although to achieve this they need the support of at least thirty deputies from the conservative Republican party, which in principle is not going to support it.

If any of these proposals go ahead, the pension reform would fall, but so would the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, and her government. Macron could also dissolve the Assembly and call elections. The unions have called a new day of general strike on Thursday, which could be one of the most followed. It is the ninth since the mobilization against the pension reform began last January.

Macron resorted to article 49.3 of the Constitution, which allows a law to be approved without a vote, given the doubts of achieving sufficient support in a vote in the Hemicycle. This unpopular reform aims to delay the retirement age from the current 62 years to 64. The Government defends that it is necessary to balance the system, already in deficit. The French criticize that it is an unfair law that harms the most precarious workers.

In addition to the tensions in the street, strikes continue in some sectors, such as refineries. The General Directorate of Civil Aviation has asked to cancel between 20-30% of the flights scheduled for Monday due to the air traffic controllers strike. The stamp of the chaotic situation that the country is experiencing is the 10,000 tons of garbage scattered throughout Paris due to the strike that the garbage collectors have been holding for almost two weeks.

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