French ministers not scared of possible protests against the pension reform

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – French ministers Wednesday said they do not fear the possible protests against the pension reform,

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne revealed Tuesday evening the details of the pension reform.

According to the reform, the retirement age will be raised from 62 to 64 in 2030.

As soon as the government announced the preparation of a draft bill to be presented in winter, it caused social unrest among the active population and the unions.

The country's eight primary unions jointly issued a statement Tuesday, calling for a nationwide strike and demonstrations on Jan. 19.

The draft reform is set to be presented to the Council of ministers on Jan. 23.

France's Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt on Wednesday told broadcaster RTL that the unions have the right to protest.

"They can protest as much as they want," Dussopt said, adding: "This project meets many expectations that they expressed (…)."

The government's job is "to convince about the justice and the necessity of this reform," the minister said.

The Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire told France 2 television channel on Wednesday morning: "If we elaborate it, it is to pursue it to the end."

The government spokesperson Olivier Veran, invited by broadcaster Franceinfo on Wednesday, noted that he is not scared of the protests.

"We want to go all the way through," he said, and added: "Manifesting will not help to balance magically, in the future, a retirement system that is unbalanced."

This reform was among the election promises of French President Emmanuel Macron.

As French Premier Elisabeth Borne explained, people will need to have worked for at least 43 years to get a full pension, starting from 2027.

She said the minimum pension will also be increased to 85% of the minimum wage, meaning the minimum pension will be around €1,200 ($1,288) per month.