Pension reform: a surge of social conflict, 2023
At the beginning of 2023, the government introduced its pension reform project – an extension of the age of legal retirement from 62 to 64 or a prolongation of the contribution period – as non-negotiable. In response to this lack of dialogue with the social members, a wave of strikes spread throughout France.
Supported by both the trade unions and the majority of French people, the movement appears to be gaining momentum. After several weeks of social conflict and the adoption of the text without the National Assembly voting, the protest took a new turn. An institutional crisis was launched, crystallizing around the questioning of the government’s legitimacy.
The use of article 49.3 to pass the pension reform provoked an escalation of tensions between protestors and police officers. The Concorde Square became the theatre of violence, as shown by the outbreak of fire on the obelisk site and the excessive number of arrests by the police.
The protests against this reform, ranging from organized mobilization days to spontaneous gatherings and night-time confrontations, show the extent of a crisis that is moving from a social issue to a debate on the legitimacy of the government. Ignited by a feeling of injustice, the French political climate appears more unsecure than ever.
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