The cycle of protests in France around pension reform seems to be easing, at least for now. French unions organized what could be the final day of demonstrations on Tuesday, with marches against raising the minimum retirement age to 62 or 64, contingent on earning 43 years of contributions to collect a full pension. Estimates from authorities put participation at about 900,000 by union figures and 281,000 by police across the country. That turnout marked the smallest wave in six months, a stark contrast to the national surge of demonstrations that defined the era earlier this year.
After a large Labor Day turnout on May 1, which drew more demonstrators than in 2002, signs of waning mobilization appeared. The five-day protest cycle drew what authorities described as more than a million people at times, but the momentum has cooled since the government enacted the reform via a decree and after the first articles appeared in the official gazette. The political moment remains unsettled as the measure awaits the next steps in the parliamentary process.
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Laurent Berger, secretary-general of the CFDT, the largest union in France, joined the crowd in Paris and suggested the momentum would persist into the final day of protests. Sophie Binet, leader of the CGT, echoed a determination to stay united, even as questions about strategy and support linger among union ranks.
The bill that would repeal the reform
What is unusual in France is the broad coalition of unions that has remained united for the 14th day of protests this week, aimed at the national assembly’s discussions. An opposition bill proposing the repeal of the higher retirement age is set to be debated in the lower house on Thursday. Yet, loyalist factions around President Emmanuel Macron have stepped up efforts to block the vote or strip the text of substance.
Last week, the parliamentary Social Affairs Committee rejected the principal article of the bill. Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of the National Assembly, indicated her opposition to the law. A LIOT-aligned group has tried to reintroduce an amendment to suspend the age increase to 64, illustrating the unusual twists in France’s legislative process that keep the reform in play. It remains uncertain whether the government can muster an absolute majority or secure broad support for pension reform.
Fabrice Esteve, a 57-year-old education professional and CGT member present in Paris, criticized the government’s tactics as a challenge to democratic deliberation. A retired judge, Agnès, aged 71 and associated with the Judges’ League, added that the political system concentrates power in the president’s hands, a sentiment commonly voiced at protests.
“There are fewer protesters”
Estimates from the Ministry of Internal Affairs place the crowd at roughly 300,000 to 31,000 in different parts of the capital, with the Paris boulevards showing a peaceful, festive mood for most of the day. Still, clashes occurred as riot police clashed with black bloc groups early on, resulting in property damage and a number of detentions reported by police in the capital on a day noticeably smaller than May 1 or March 23.
A 25-year-old municipal employee named Lu carried a banner warning that reform withdrawal was linked to Olympic plans for the future. The Olympic Games organizing committee’s Paris headquarters drew attention for meetings about next year’s events as protests continued into the day.
Despite fewer protesters and the partial retirement-age compliance questions, many participants chose to view the situation optimistically. Lu argued that the protests helped push labor and wage issues into public discourse and highlighted sectoral strikes that have produced gains in recent months. Workers at Vertbaudet won a 7 percent raise after a two-month strike, while workers at SNCF, Amazon, and even Disneyland have pursued gains as part of a broader wave of labor action. For many in the unions, these outcomes offered a tangible sense of progress amid a difficult political moment. This sentiment reflects a broader belief that the protest movement has shifted public understanding of work and compensation and has kept pressure on policymakers as the debate continues.