Despite the fact that French president Emmanuel Macron has been sending military hardware and cash worth millions of dollars to Ukraine in his bid to drive-away Russian forces, Macron has been telling his people that the country was suffering from economic crisis and for this reason he raised the retirement age from 62 to 64, which has already resulted in massive protests throughout France. According to media reports, more than a million people took to the streets across France on March 23 with protests turning violent in some areas as demonstrators voiced their fury at proposed pension reforms. Clashes between groups of protesters and police broke out after workers staged a national strike throughout March 23, with flare-ups in Paris and regional capitals.
Police fired tear gas at crowds in northwestern Lorient, while video from Rennes shows authorities using water cannons to disperse protesters. While French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said at least 80 people were arrested and 123 police officers injured during the nationwide protests, sources said the number of arrests would cross 250.
More protests and ‘local disruptive action’ from March 28
France’s eight major trade unions announced a further nationwide protest for March 28, and called for local disruptive action over the weekend.
Britain’s King Charles had been due to visit Bordeaux on March 28 during his first foreign state visit as monarch, but on Friday the trip was postponed.
“In view of yesterday’s announcement of a new national day of action against pension reform on Tuesday, March 28 in France, the visit of King Charles III, originally scheduled for March 26-29 in our country, will be postponed”, the Élysée Palace announced in a statement on March 24.
“This decision was taken by the French and British governments, after a telephone exchange between the President of the Republic and the King this morning, in order to be able to welcome His Majesty King Charles III in conditions that correspond to our friendly relationship. This state visit will be rescheduled as soon as possible”, the statement continued.
Emmanuel Macron hides €80,000 ($86,000; £70,000) worth wristwatch
French President Emmanuel Macron has been criticized after he removed an expensive luxury watch during an interview about pension changes.
Macron’s representatives said the president took off the watch because it was “clinking on the table”. But his critics have claimed the watch shows he is out of touch with the public. According to critics, this wristwatch was worth up to €80,000 ($86,000; £70,000), although Élysée Palace said “this was not correct”.
The incident happened part way through an interview on March 22, when Macron was justifying his reasons for lifting the pension age. As he rested his forearms on the table, a thud could be heard. The French president then placed his hands under the table as he continued talking. When he brought them back up, the watch had been removed – just like magician’s trick.
C'est finalement l'image de cette interview #Macron13h :
Au moment de parler des "smicards" qui n'ont "jamais autant gagné de pouvoir d'achat", il retire discrètement sa jolie montre de luxe, sous la table.
Cet homme est une farce. #Greve23mars https://t.co/DvhreQ0S3n
— Clémence Guetté (@Clemence_Guette) March 23, 2023
Clémence Guetté, an MP for the opposition left-wing La France Insoumise party, has been taking part in the protests against the pension reform. She tweeted that as the president was claiming minimum wage earners had unprecedented purchasing power, “the final image” was him “removing his pretty luxury watch”.
“The president of the rich has never worn his name so well”, said her colleague, Farida Amrani.
Emmanuel Macron has long been criticized by his political rivals for supporting the wealthy.
In February, he came under attack for giving Jeff Bezos, one of the richest men in the world, France’s highest honor, while people were on the streets protesting about their financial futures.
5 jeunes dénoncent des gardes à vue arbitraires et des traitements inhumains dans le cadre de la mobilisation pour nos retraites. Je leur apporte tout mon soutien.
Retrouvez ci-dessous la cagnotte qu'ils ont lancée pour payer leurs frais d'avocat.https://t.co/l80MKQXufo
— Clémence Guetté (@Clemence_Guette) March 24, 2023
Ironically, Emmanuel Macron has sometimes referred to himself as the “master of the clocks” because he likes to set the pace of French politics. He has argued the changes to the retirement age are a “necessity” to keep the pension budget from running into deficit.
His government decided last week to use a special constitutional power to force through the reform without a vote, after realizing they would struggle to pass in the National Assembly. The move triggered two no-confidence votes, which the government survived.
The controversy has renewed unrest across the country, which began in January when the plans were unveiled.