96. France’s People’s Revolt on Pensions. Tricoleur Revolution?

Will mass protests in Paris overthrow President Macron? How did a rule change for pensioners imperil the French Fifth Republic?

Emmanuel Macron raised the minimum retirement age in France from 62 to 64. He wanted to control costs and make the French economy more competitive. But he did not have enough support in the French National Assembly to vote it into law. So he used a special constitutional power to make an emergency decree that by-passed lawmakers. This turned a campaign of opposition by unions and others into wild mass protests, with up to one million on the streets. Fires were lit. Police and protestors clashed violently. Is this a people’s revolt, or even a revolution for democracy? How does it compare to largely peaceful protests in America, Iran, Georgia, Israel, and across the world? Is this a Tricoleur Revolution?

In this episode, you will learn: - an overview of the French revolt on pensions reforms

- why have changes to pension rules led to a political crisis in France

- lessons from history on the revolutionary crowd and people power

- reflections from Hannah Arendt, On Revolution, and Simon Schama, Citizens, on the links between protest, revolution and violence

Full details about the material referred to during this show can be obtained from my free weekly newsletter that you can subscribe to at jeffrich.substack.com. #history #geopolitics #politics #Macron