Dispute over pension reform in France gives Marine Le Pen's party boost

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) - In France, Marine Le Pen's far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party "is clearly on the rise," according to a study released on Tuesday.

"Rassemblement National's surge is spectacular during the dispute over pension reform, with voting intentions rising by 7 points if new parliamentary elections were to be held," said the study by French think tank Jean Jaures Foundation.

Some 26% of voters will choose the far-right party in the event of new parliamentary elections, a rise from 19% of the votes it won in the June 2022 elections.

"The RN benefits from the pension dispute because it is perceived in public opinion as both serious and anti-system, and has shown a willingness to compromise," said social scientist and author of the study, Antoine Bristielle, as reported by the French daily 20minutes.

The government revealed the pension reform project in January, and workers and trade unions have since expressed growing outrage by holding demonstrations and walkouts.

Outrage by workers intensified when the government used special constitutional powers on March 16 to force the plan through -- Article 49.3 of the Constitution -- a mechanism that allows the government to adopt a draft bill without parliamentary approval.

The reform project includes raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 in 2030, requiring at least 43 years of work to be eligible for a full pension.

According to estimates by the French Ministry of Labor, the reform is expected to increase annual pension contributions by €17.7 billion euros ($18.8 billion) by 2030.

Unions, on the other hand, favor small increases in contributions to keep the pension system solvent. According to the unions, the proposed measures are unfair and disproportionately affect low-skilled workers in strenuous occupations who enter the workforce early.

In addition, inflation in France remains at a high level. According to the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), the price level in March 2023 was 6.6% higher than a year ago.