LVMH Stormed, Macron’s Café Burned, Law Passes Anyway
Posted on 04/17/2023
A café beloved by French President Emmanuel Macron was burned by protestors and luxury handbag company LVMH was stormed in a tumultuous week in Paris. As many as a hundred thousand protestors took to the streets to fight against a raise in the retirement age to 64, from 62. Police were called in to stop protestors from disrupting the Constitutional Council, France’s top court, which approved the reform. The change was signed into law over the weekend. In all, 112 people were arrested and 10 police officers injured as fires burned. A new rally has been called for May 1, 2023. The court didn’t allow all provisions to go through, for example, one that would have encouraged businesses to hire employees over the age of 55 was struck.
Macron is not budging, saying changes are needed to bring the country’s finances under control, but opposing him are powerful unions in France, and Sophie Binet, leader of a major union in the country, is not giving up: “As long as the pension reform is not withdrawn, the mobilization will continue one way or another.” Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has sided with the protestors in general: “This reform is unjust and violent. The French have been asking for it to be withdrawn for months, the government has to hear them.” With garbage workers on strike, the resulting situation in Paris may deteriorate before it gets better. In a previous strike, thousands of tons of garbage piled up on the streets.
Left Wary of Macron
Macron won his latest election against his center-right wing opponent, Marine Le Pen of the National Rally party. The citizenry was surprised to see Macron institute these reforms. Macron is now on shaky ground with his country’s left leaning voters, who once supported him.
