French President Emmanuel Macron is addressing the nation Wednesday after his move to force through legislation to raise the retirement age ignited angry protests and strikes around the country.
The 45-year-old French president has defended the age hike as necessary to guarantee the survival of France pension system, but it has roiled the European nation for weeks.Wednesday’s interview are his most direct comments to the nation since pushing the legislation through.backlash to the contentious pension reform plan
has only grown, with ongoing protests in parts of France on Wednesday and unions planning another round of nationwide mobilization on Thursday. Protests have been reported in cities including Toulouse, Marseille and Lyon over the past week. Police fired tear gas and water cannons at demonstrators gathered at the Place de la Concorde in Paris, while protesters set trash cans on fire in Nantes.
Authorities detained hundreds of protesters in recent days although few were charged, French media reported, while the Interior Ministry
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