The trouble with Emmanuel Macron’s pension victory

Emmanuel Macron's pension reform is imperfect, but essential. The French president's narrow escape has come at a high political cost. Democratic leadership requires the constant and careful forging of consent.

March 24, 2023 . 2:57 AM

1 min read

Emmanuel Macron's minority government narrowly survived two no-confidence votes regarding the decision to raise the minimum pension age.
The law must be approved by the constitutional council, and opposition leaders are agitating in the streets to overturn the reform.
France spends 14% of its GDP on public pensions, nearly double the OECD average, and raising the retirement age is the soundest way to close the financing gap.
Mr. Macron's top-down governing style irks many, and the use of constitutional provision reinforces the impression that he will not listen.
Democratic leadership requires the constant and careful forging of consent, and those in France who want their next president to come from the democratic centre cannot afford to stay silent.