France ‘deeply worried’ by Macron plot as overwhelming majority reject pensions reform

The government said the reform was “not a battle,” as it vowed to press ahead with plans to merge the country’s 42 separate pension schemes into a single, points-based system.

The poll, conducted by Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting for newspaper Le Figaro and France Info radio, showed that 70 percent of French people are “not reassured” by the government’s proposals.

Sixty-one percent of those polled said they were “not convinced” by the pension reform plan, while 60 percent said the proposed changes would not help create a “fair and sustainable” retirement system.

Sixty-eight percent of respondents, however, said the rolling strike action against the pension overhaul was “justified”.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Wednesday refused to back down on his government’s controversial pension plans despite the week-long transport freeze, but said he remained open to discussions on the measure.

“I am firm on the principle … of a system that will concern everyone … and that will be truly universal,” he told TF1 television.

“There will be no winners and no losers,” he continued, before insisting the reform was “not a battle”.

Earlier on Wednesday, M Philippe confirmed plans to fuse the country’s 42 existing pension schemes into a single, points-based system giving pensioners the same rights for each euro contributed.

“The time has come to construct a universal retirement system,” M Philippe told a news conference.

But he irked many by saying that although the legal retirement age would remain 62, the government would introduce a “bonus/penalty” system aimed at encouraging people to remain in work until 64 – the new so-called “pivot age”.

Also unpopular is M Philippe’s insistence that special pension regimes for certain sectors – including railway workers, sailors and Paris Opera workers who retire up to a decade earlier than most – would be scrapped, although in a gradual manner.

France’s three biggest trade unions, the FO, CFDT and CGT, all slammed the proposals which M Philippe believed would “justify” the end of the industrial action.

The moderate CFDT union called for a mass protest to be held next Tuesday, and said in a statement that the proposals were “unfair” and that “a red line” had been crossed.

The head of the hardline CGT union, Philippe Martinez, said the government had made a “mockery” of workers, adding: “Everyone will have to work longer, this is unacceptable.”

Public transport networks in Paris and other cities have been paralysed by the walkout, which kicked off last Thursday and left shops, hotels and restaurants fearing for the bottom line ahead of the crunch Christmas period.

Laurent Brun, the head of the CGT’s railway branch, warned there would be “no Christmas break” in the strike “unless the government comes to its senses”.

But the Macron government argues the reform will help erase chronic pension system deficits forecast to reach as much as 17 billion euros (£14.2 billion) by 2025.

The Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting poll of 1,002 people aged 18 and over was conducted online between December 11-12.

source: express.co.uk