Macron to address France after 'Pyrrhic' pensions victory

President Emmanuel Macron is on Monday to address France for the first time since signing into law his controversial pension reform, facing warnings the political and social crisis it sparked is not over.

Macron signed the legislation early Saturday, just hours after the banner change to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 had been validated by the constitutional court, prompting accusations he was smuggling the law through in the dead of night.

After three months of protests and strikes, the left and unions have vowed not to give in and warned of mass protests on the May 1 Labor Day.

Polls have consistently recorded a majority of French opposed to the reform, which the government rammed through parliament using a controversial mechanism to avoid a vote.

Macron's personal popularity ratings have eroded with some analysts suggesting he has given a head start to far-right leader Marine Le Pen down the long path to 2027 elections.

The press has widely dubbed it a "Pyrrhic victory" after the Greek king who defeated the Romans but saw most of his army destroyed in the process.

- 'President of chaos' -

Macron is to address the nation from 1800 GMT on all France's major TV channels, the presidency said, in a speech government spokesman Olivier Veran insisted Saturday would be in the spirit of "pacification".

But the leader of the powerful CGT union Sophie Binet said in an interview with regional newspapers Sunday that Macron was "on his way to becoming the president of chaos".

"He is opening the way to the National Rally" party of Le Pen, who  one poll gave as the victor if the 2022 presidential election was re-run today, she said.

The rapid signing of the law showed "contempt until the very end," said Laurent Berger, head of the more moderate CFDT union. "The world of work is still in shock."

"Emmanuel Macron is far from finished from having to deal with the social and political crisis, which he continues to dangerously stir up," said Le Monde newspaper in an editorial.

The daily noted Le Pen was the only politician whose popularity has been notably boosted by the crisis, while trust in France's democratic institutions has fallen.

"The cost of the pensions reform appears to be exorbitant," it said.

The crisis also comes at a time of increasing challenges on the international stage for Macron, who faced accusations of cozying up to China on a visit to Beijing last week.

- 'Determined to accelerate' -

Macron, 45, came to power in 2017 promising reform and a fresh new politics. But opponents accuse him of increasingly reclusive and anti-democratic behavior.

"Emmanuel Macron no longer has authority... so suddenly he is becoming brutal and authoritarian," hard-left deputy Clementine Autain told French TV on Sunday.

Le Pen said Macron had three choices to end a crisis "which he created himself" -- a referendum on the changes, legislative elections or resignation.

But Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne vowed Saturday the government would press ahead with more reforms now the pensions overhaul was done.

"We are determined to accelerate" the pace of reforms, she told the national council of Macron's Renaissance party.

Binet and other union bosses have called for a "popular and historic tidal wave" of people on the streets to oppose the reforms on May 1.

As a prelude to the May 1 protests, railway unions are calling for a day of "railway anger" on Thursday.

"I find that the country is anxious and also angry. This anger has to be heard," warned French parliament speaker Yael Braun-Pivet.

 

AFP