As protests in France against pension reform intensify this week, the opposition to President Emmanuel Macron is showing fissures. A tenth day of unified labor action marks the ongoing mobilization launched on January 19 in opposition to raising the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 (with a full pension after 43 years). Despite inflation eroding purchasing power, unions are leaning on the energized youth who have become a frontline force in sustaining demonstrations.
In parallel, about 500 campuses were blocked this Tuesday morning, up from last Thursday. Institutions such as Sciences Po Paris, the Sorbonne, the University of Nanterre, Dauphine, and others like Lille 1, Lyon 2, and Toulouse 2 joined the disruption. Since the reform was carried out by decree without a parliamentary vote on March 16, broad public backlash has widened into a broader critique of Macron’s leadership. (Attribution: ongoing coverage, multiple sources)
That sense of democratic deficit is fueling youth participation and reinvigorating the protests. The rail sector has halted roughly half of its services, while there is no waste collection and nearly 30% of gas stations around Paris report shortages. More than 200 protests occurred nationwide. Security services estimate between 650,000 and 900,000 demonstrators, indicating turnout lower than last week’s mass strike but still among the largest protests of the 21st century in a neighboring country marked by strong civic passion. (Attribution: police and government statements)
Tense atmosphere as clashes intensify between protesters and police
Following heavy rioting and a robust police response last Thursday, the Interior Ministry announced a deployment of 13,000 officers, including 5,500 in Paris. This ranks as the largest police presence in the current wave, despite the long-standing strain on public security personnel. The yellow vest era still lingers in the public memory, underscoring a fragile balance between protest energy and state control. (Attribution: Interior Ministry briefings)
With the decree tightening pension rules, social tensions hardened. The climate remains combustible, though not at the scale of the 2018-2019 rebellions. Authorities report around 900 riot police injuries since March 16, most of them light. Incidents of alleged excessive force have been reported, including injuries to a rail worker who lost an eye, a protester who lost a finger to a grenade, and reports of inappropriate conduct toward protesters. (Attribution: human rights observers)
Violent clashes continued on Saturday between environmental activists and police during demonstrations against large dams in Saint-Soline, midwest France. Protesters threw stones and Molotov cocktails; riot police used rubber bullets, and over 4,000 officers operated with additional devices. Two injured protesters remain in a coma, highlighting the dangerous edge of the confrontation. (Attribution: regional police reports)
“Not Macron De Gaulle”
Analysts note that the slogan says it all: the current approach might not replicate the 2019 yellow vest reversal, though some observers remain hopeful about a shift in strategy. Sociologist Karel Yon, a CNRS and University of Nanterre researcher, commented that the centrist leader previously leveraged perceived order to quell unrest, but this time the dynamics may differ. Nearly 70 percent of French respondents support the protests, the strongest backing since the wave began. (Attribution: Prensa Ibérica, EL PERIÓDICO; public opinion surveys)
Macron softened his stance after a recent interview, signaling willingness to meet with unions but reportedly excluding pension reform from discussion. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has pledged not to invoke Article 49.3 except for budgetary measures, a move that startled even close observers at the Élysée. (Attribution: government statements)
Union leaders remain cautious, viewing Macron’s position with skepticism due to public friction and a history of hardline language. CGT Secretary General Philippe Martinez urged postponing the project and appointing a mediator, while the government countered that mediation is unnecessary for a political process. (Attribution: union and government statements)
Some interpret the current resistance as the first cracks in the presidential majority. Modem, a party within the majority, shows openness to mediator-led talks. Both unions and the government now focus on the Constitutional Council’s upcoming decision, which could shape the pace of any reform, given its power to assess the law’s speed and validity. (Attribution: constitutional and political analysis)
Experts say the Court will weigh the rapid parliamentary procedures used to speed the reform, but a ruling is not expected in the near term. The dynamic among Macron, the unions, and the street remains unsettled, with a long road ahead in addressing pension policy and social tension. (Attribution: political analysis)