French pension: Mass protests continue against the rise in retirement age

Chloe Outten

Christine Jagueneau began considering retirement on her 59th birthday She had successfully worked for 38 years but had recently lost her job. Thanks to France’s low pension age, she was free to live her life the way she wanted to, with government benefits that would reward her for years of hard work. Right?

Wrong. The French pension age has been raised, undermining the financial security of millions of people. Jake Cigainero, content strategist and producer for NPR, explains that “...the core of the reforms raises the retirement age from 62 to 64…starting in September, the retirement age to collect a pension will be raised incrementally by three months every year until the age reaches 64 in 2030.”

The French government stated that the overhaul was conducted in order to preserve the government's monetary fund. They said that the change is a good thing, and that it’s inconsequential to work for another two years. The citizens of France disagreed There have been several peaceful protests, such as people blocking the Lille railway line, or union strikes at SNCF (a national railway company.) Fabien Villediew, head of Sud Rail Union, led a peaceful protest at

Later, the protesters went west of the capital to the business district of La Defense, where they stormed Euronext with flares. “We want to show that the mobilization continues,” she said. “There’s no way we’re going to let this reform pass ”

Other gatherings have resulted in violent clashes with the police. In Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, and more, people are protesting the reform. They are carrying their objections to the streets to fight back.

Since the age has been raised to 64, older workers are having a difficult time getting jobs and are struggling to make a living.

Robert Foucart, senior economics lecturer at Lancaster University says, “Government agencies predict massive deficits in the coming years as boomers continue to retire, and they need to make changes very quickly ”

These changes have been made, but the people believe the reforms were made at the cost of senior citizens. Boomers are increasingly unable to find work, and the new law could put them in a bad financial position.

The protests are continuing to heat up, and the only question is how much longer are the people willing to be expended?