French leaders live to fight another week as pension storm deepens
The past week has been a difficult one for French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. The government survived two no-confidence votes in the wake of its decision to impose pensions reform, but public opposition to the move is showing no sign of abating.
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Uproar over the government decree to ram through the reform bill without a parliamentary vote has turned into the biggest domestic crisis of Macron's second term in office.
Violent demonstrations forced the postponement of a planned visit to France by King Charles III of Britain.
Trade unions have announced fresh strikes and protests for Tuesday.
Over one million protesters took part in demonstrations across France on Thursday, the authorities said, putting the Paris turnout at 119,000, the highest for the capital since the movement started in January.
The nationwide figure fell short of the 1.28 million people who marched on 7 March, according to the government figures.
Unions claimed a record 3.5 million people had protested across France, with 800,000 on the streets of the capital.
In the southwestern city of Bordeaux, the porch of the city hall was briefly set on fire during Thursday night's clashes.
Hundreds of protestors were arrested. The interior ministry says more than 400 police officers were injured.
'Excessive force and arbitrary arrests'
Since the government imposed the reform 10 days ago, nightly demonstrations have taken place across France.
There have been hundreds of arrests and accusations of heavy-handed tactics by police.
Amnesty International has expressed alarm "about the widespread use of excessive force and arbitrary arrests reported in several media outlets".
Anger surged after a defiant Macron said on Wednesday he was prepared to accept unpopularity over the pensions reform, which he insisted was "necessary".
The week also saw Borne's government survive two no-confidence votes at the National Assembly, the lower house of the French parliament.
The president confirmed that Borne would keep her job as prime minister, dismissing calls for a reshuffle and ruling out a referendum on pension reform.
What options remain for Macron?
There are ongoing disruptions in public transport, at several French airports and oil refineries.
Bin collectors in Paris are also on strike, leading to the accumulation of thousands of tons of rubbish on the capital's streets.
At a meeting with cabinet ministers and party leaders on Tuesday, Macron gave his senior political staff "two or three weeks, maximum" in which to come up with proposals for a "change of approach and a new calendar for reform".
The president is said to have called for a number of "clear projects with a clear timetable". Further dispute over the legitimacy of proposed laws is to be avoided at all costs, according to a member of the president's inner circle.
He has asked his ministers to prioritise reform through regulation rather than legislation, given that his coalition does not have an outright majority in the National Assembly.
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