Who Knew? Revoking Long-Established Rights (This Time in France) Proves Unpopular

[marmar]

(The American Prospect) French President Emmanuel Macron is going through his own Dobbs decision backlash.

In an effort to reduce his nation’s pension costs and presumably make its economy more competitive, he’s proposed to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

He’s encountered a couple of problems along the way. First, France’s public pension system is a notable success, yielding one of the lowest elderly poverty rates on the planet. Second, the French people have now been making life plans premised on retirement at 62 for more than a dozen years. Upping that by two years takes away a fundamental assurance on which the French have depended.

Which is why a million Parisians took to the streets last week in protest. Which is why a recent poll showed that 68 percent of Macron’s compatriots oppose raising the age.

Which is why Macron is stumbling down the same path that our own Republicans have been taking in revoking Roe v. Wade and seeking to outlaw abortion. People don’t usually respond gently to the imposed withdrawal of what they’ve long taken to be their fundamental rights. ..............(more)

https://prospect.org/blogs-and-newsletters/tap/2023-01-26-france-macron-retirement-age/