Strikers battle French pension reforms

Millions of workers hit the streets in France on Tuesday in the latest national strike and day of demonstrations aimed at defeating President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms.

The proposed overhaul, which includes raising the retirement age by two years to 64, is attracting not only the wrath of strikers, but also increasing opposition among lawmakers.

Philippe Martinez, leader of the CGT union, told broadcaster France 2 that Macron should be left in no doubt about the scale of opposition.

"We're counting on there being rallies, so that the country's elected representatives take into account the opinion of citizens," he said.

Lawmakers started debating the proposed overhaul on Monday, which Macron put at the heart of his reelection campaign last year. It was a campaign that did not go as well as Macron hoped, and despite winning a second term as president, left him around 40 lawmakers short of a majority. The situation means Macron will have to rely on support from other political parties if he is to win approval in Parliament.

Macron warning

However, he has said he would use controversial executive powers if necessary, that will allow a president to force through legislation against the wishes of lawmakers. Critics have said such a move would be undemocratic and highly controversial. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, whose job is to make Macron's plans a reality, told the Journal du Dimanche she hopes to "find a majority" among lawmakers and not resort to the power.

"My efforts have all gone in that direction in recent weeks and months," she insisted.

Members of rival political parties have so far filed around 20,000 proposed amendments to Macron's legislation in a bid to slow its progress.

Borne defended the proposed bill in a rowdy debate on Monday in which opponents booed her.

Public Accounts Minister Gabriel Attal said during the debate that the nation simply cannot afford to continue to offer the generous pension package it has in the past.

"It's reform or bankruptcy," Agence France-Presse quoted him as saying.

Macron said he wants to lift the pensions system out of debt by 2030 by finding around 18 billion euros ($19.5 billion) of annual savings.

But workers said savings should be found elsewhere and Tuesday's national strike — the third so far this year — attracted around 2.5 million people, according to the unions.

The strike saw trains and the Paris metro grind to a halt, and around 1 in 5 flights were canceled at the capital's Orly Airport.

Despite the disruption, most ordinary people support the strikes, according to a Harris Interactive opinion poll that found only 35 percent of respondents now support the government's plans.