French court approves contentious plans to raise country’s pension age
Contentious plans to raise the pension age in France have been approved by the country’s highest constitutional court.
France’s Constitutional Council has ruled in favour of the government’s reforms, which will see the pension age increase from 62 to 64.
The plans sparked widespread protests after president Emmanuel Macron’s government invoked Article 49.3 to push the changes through without a vote by MPs last month.
France’s state retirement age is 62 – much lower than many of its European neighbours. In the UK it is 66, Germany and Italy 67, and Spain 65.
Protesters clashed with police shortly after the court’s decision was announced, with teargas used on a group of demonstrators in Lyon, while bikes were also set on fire in the French capital, Paris.
Mr Macron, who has described the changes as a “necessity” to salvage France’s pensions system, will now sign the reform bill into law within the coming days.
The law will take effect at the beginning of September, according to France’s labour minister. However, the country’s labour unions have urged Mr Macron not to sign the bill.
One of France’s largest unions, the CGT, has said leaders will no longer engage in talks with the president if he signs off on the pension reforms.
Police officers guard the entrance of the Constitutional Council. Pic: AP
It comes after nearly 400,000 protesters took to the streets across France on Thursday in a final push in protest at the proposals.
The country has faced weeks of demonstrations and at times the protests have turned violent, with demonstrators clashing with police.
Protesters stormed the headquarter of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) – which also represents brands including Christian Dior, Fendi and Givenchy – on Thursday.
Demonstrations also took place in towns and cities across the country – including in Rennes where a Mercedes was set on fire.
What is the retirement age in France – and how is it changing?
France’s state retirement age is 62 – much lower than many of its European neighbours.
French workers can receive a state pension from the age of 62, but it will be less if that person has not made the required number of contributions.
Aged 67, they are entitled to the full state pension regardless of their contributions.
Protests in Paris on Thursday over the pension plans
Protesters march during a demonstration in Lyon on Thursday
Protesters watch a burning car during a demonstration on Thursday
Mr Macron’s changes will see the age that workers can receive a state pension increase to 64.
This will be done gradually by three months a year from September 2023 until September 2030.
The number of years someone will have to make contributions to get the full state pension will increase from 42 to 43 in 2027.
End of the road for those hoping to block pension reforms
For those who have fought long and hard, and been involved in demonstrations on a weekly basis, and for those who have been on strike and gone without pay, this is a bitterly disappointing decision by France’s Constitutional Council.
It is the end of the road. It is a line in the sand from a legal perspective.
President Macron may have seen off the legal crisis though, but he still has a political crisis because there are many, many angry people who say that their voice was not heard and that the French government did not listen to them.
They are also disappointed because not only is the pension age going to be increased from 62 to 64, but they won’t be getting a referendum, which they’d also called for so that they could have a say and that they could have a vote.
President Macron says there is no winner or loser, but those involved in the strike action at a protest where I am now in central Paris say they will continue to strike and that their determination to stop this doesn’t end now.
And that means that France is the loser because this will continue to be a city dogged by demonstrations, protests, violence potentially and crippled by strikes.
But French workers have reacted with fury to the proposals, with unions sharing a great a pride in France’s pensions system.
There is also anger among those approaching pension age, who say the changes will scupper their plans to retire.
What is Macron’s argument?
France’s generous welfare state has long weighed heavily on the economy and workforce.
In the third quarter of 2022, national debt stood at 113.4% of GDP – more than in the UK (100.2%), Germany (66.6%), and similar to struggling economies like Spain (115.6%) and Portugal (120.1%).
It also means the workforce is shrinking. There are only 1.7 workers for every pensioner in France, down from 2.1 in 2000.
“This is Macron’s flagship policy,” David S Bell, emeritus professor of French government and politics at the University of Leeds, told Sky News.
“He wants to push it through before he steps down at the end of this term.
“But the problem isn’t an immediate crisis – it’s a future burden based on economic projections. It’s the opposite to the way politics works, which is to focus on the immediate, headline-grabbing issues.
Read more:
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“His argument is that unless these reforms are made, and the French working life is made longer, the country won’t be able to afford it.”
Addressing strikes on French TV, Mr Macron argued: “This reform isn’t a luxury, it’s not a pleasure, it’s a necessity. The longer we wait, the more [the deficit] will deteriorate.”
What happens now?
France’s Constitutional Council, the highest constitutional court in the land, has now given Mr Macron’s government the go-ahead to push forward with the plans.
The council is made up of nine people – three appointed by the president, three by the head of the National Assembly (lower house of parliament), and three by the head of the Senate (upper house of parliament).
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Protesters storm Louis Vuitton HQ
Largely former lawyers, business people, senior civil servants and ex-politicians, they oversee the final stage of approving any new law – and consider whether it adheres to the constitution.
There is one final mechanism unions can use to stop the bill going through – a referendum – but for this they would have to get the approval of both the council and 10% of voters within the next nine months.
It has not been successfully used since it was introduced in 2015.
The government hopes the approval of the plans will bring an end to nationwide protests. But there is no guarantee the disruption will end.
They rose to their feet in ecstatic surprise, shouting “heydar, heydar” – a Shia victory chant.
This was the first public appearance of their supreme leader since Israel began attacking their country.
He emerged during evening prayers in his private compound. He said nothing but looked stern and resolute as he waved to the crowd.
He has spent the last weeks sequestered in a bunker, it is assumed, for his safety following numerous death threats from Israel and the US.
His re-emergence suggests a return to normality and a sense of defiance that we have witnessed here on the streets of Tehran too.
Earlier, we had filmed as men in black marched through the streets of the capital to the sound of mournful chants and the slow beat of drums, whipping their backs with metal flails.
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Defiance on streets of Tehran
This weekend they mark the Shia festival of Ashura as they have for 14 centuries. But this year has poignant significance for Iranians far more than most.
The devout remember the betrayal and death of Imam Hussein as if it happened yesterday. We filmed men and women weeping as they worshipped at the Imamzadeh Saleh Shrine in northern Tehran.
The armies of the Caliph Yazid killed the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh-century Battle of Karbala.
Shiite Muslims mark the anniversary every year and reflect on the virtue it celebrates, of resistance against oppression and injustice.
But more so than ever in the wake of Israel and America’s attacks on their country.
The story is one of prevailing over adversity and deception. A sense of betrayal is keenly felt here among people and officials.
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
Many Iranians believe they were lured into pursuing diplomacy as part of a ruse by the US.
Iran believed it was making diplomatic progress in talks with America it hoped could lead to a deal. Then Israel launched its attacks and, instead of condemning them, the US joined in.
Death to Israel chants resounded outside the mosque in skies which were filled for 12 days with the sounds of Israeli jets. There is a renewed sense of defiance here.
One man told us: “The lesson to be learned from Hussein is not to give in to oppression even if it is the most powerful force in the world.”
A woman was dismissive about the US president. “I don’t think about Trump, nobody likes him. He always wants to attack too many countries.”
Pictures on billboards nearby draw a line between Imam Hussein’s story and current events. The seventh-century imam on horseback alongside images of modern missiles and drones from the present day.
Other huge signs remember the dead. Iran says almost 1,000 people were killed in the strikes, many of them women and children.
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Officially Iran is projecting defiance but not closing the door to diplomacy.
Government spokeswoman Dr Fatemeh Mohajerani told Sky News that Israel should not even think about attacking again.
“We are very strong in defence and as state officials have announced, this time Israel will receive an even stronger response compared to previous times,” she said.
“We hope that Israel will not make such a mistake.”
But there is also a hint of conciliation: Senior Iranian officials have told Sky News that back-channel efforts are under way to explore new talks with the US.
Israel had hoped its attacks could topple the Iranian leadership. That proved unfounded, the government is in control here.
For many Iranians, it seems quite the opposite happened – the 12-day war has brought them closer together.
To the sound of mournful chants and the slow beat of drums, they march, whipping their backs with metal flails.
It is an ancient ceremony going back almost 14 centuries – the Shia commemoration of Ashura.
But this year in particular has poignant significance for Iranians.
The devout remember the betrayal and death of the Imam Hussein as if it happened yesterday.
Iranians gather ahead of Ashura
We filmed men and women weep as they worshipped at the Imamzadeh Saleh Shrine in northern Tehran.
The grandson of the Prophet Muhammad was killed by the armies of the Caliph Yazid in the seventh century Battle of Karbala.
Shia Muslims mark the anniversary every year and reflect on the virtue it celebrates – of resistance against oppression and injustice. But more so than ever this year, in the wake of Israel and America’s attacks on their country.
The story is one of prevailing over adversity and deception. A sense of betrayal is keenly felt here by people and officials.
Men and women weeped as they worshipped at the Imamzadeh Saleh Shrine
Many Iranians believe they were lured into pursuing diplomacy as part of a ruse by the US.
Iran believed it was making diplomatic progress in talks with America, which it hoped could lead to a deal. Then Israel launched its attacks and, instead of condemning them, the US joined in.
“Death to Israel” chants resounded outside the mosque in skies that for 12 days were filled with the sounds of Israeli jets.
There is a renewed sense of defiance here.
One man told us: “The lesson to be learned from Hussein is not to give in to oppression, even if it is the most powerful force in the world.”
‘I don’t think about Trump. Nobody likes him,’ one woman tells Sky News
A woman was dismissive about the US president.
“I don’t think about Trump. Nobody likes him. He always wants to attack too many countries.”
Pictures on billboards nearby link Imam Hussein’s story and current events. They show the seventh century imam on horseback alongside images of modern missiles and drones from the present day.
Other huge signs remember the dead. Iran says almost 1,000 people were killed in the strikes, many of them women and children.
Officially Iran is projecting defiance, but not closing the door to diplomacy.
Government spokeswoman Dr Fatemeh Mohajerani told Sky News that Israel should not even think about attacking again.
“We are very strong in defence, and as state officials have announced, this time Israel will receive an even stronger response compared to previous times. We hope that Israel will not make such a mistake.”
Dr Fatemeh Mohajerani said it would be a mistake for Israel to attack again
But there is also a hint of conciliation. Senior Iranian officials have told Sky News back-channel efforts are under way to explore new talks with the US.
Israel had hoped its attacks could topple the Iranian leadership. Those hopes proved unfounded. The government is in control here.
For many Iranians it seems quite the opposite happened – the 12-day war has brought them closer together.
World
Two security workers injured after grenades thrown at aid site, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says
Two American security workers in Gaza were injured after grenades were thrown during food distribution in Khan Younis, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has said.
In a statement, the US and Israeli-backed aid group said a targeted terrorist attack was carried out at one of its sites in southern Gaza on Saturday morning.
The two Americans injured “are receiving medical treatment and are in stable condition,” it said, adding that the delivery of aid was “otherwise successful” and that “no local aid workers or civilians were harmed”.
GHF didn’t say exactly when the incident happened but claimed Hamas was behind the attack, adding: “GHF has repeatedly warned of credible threats from Hamas, including explicit plans to target American personnel, Palestinian aid workers, and the civilians who rely on our sites for food.
“Today’s attack tragically affirms those warnings.”
Later, the aid group posted a picture on social media, which it said showed “fragments of a grenade packed with ball bearings” that was used in the attack.
Asked by Sky’s US partner network, NBC News, whether the two injured individuals were responsible for handing out aid or were responsible for providing security, GHF said they were “American security workers” and “two American veterans.”
The aid group did not provide specific evidence that Hamas was behind the attack.
The US and Israeli-backed group has been primarily responsible for aid distribution since Israel lifted its 11-week blockade of the Gaza Strip in May.
Read more:
Hamas gives ‘positive’ response to ceasefire proposal
Outcry as Israeli strike hits school
94 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza, health staff say
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
It comes after Sky News analysis showed GHF aid distributions are associated with a significant increase in deaths in Gaza.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, 600 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid from GHF sites as of 3 July, which charities and the UN have branded “death traps”.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press has reported that Israeli-backed American contractors guarding GHF aid centres in Gaza are using live ammunition and stun grenades.
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Contractors allege colleagues ‘fired on Palestinians’
GHF has vehemently denied the accusations, adding that it investigated AP’s allegations and found them to be “categorically false”.
Israel’s military added that it fires only warning shots and is investigating reports of civilian harm.
It denies deliberately shooting at any innocent civilians and says it’s examining how to reduce “friction with the population” in the areas surrounding the distribution centres.
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