Protests Erupt Across France After Government Forces Through Pension Reform, Raising Retirement Age

A protester shoots a firework at police officers, with the Eiffel tower seen in the background, during a demonstration on Place de la Concorde in Paris on March 17, 2023 JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images

Protests erupted across France on March 17 after French President Emmanuel Macron’s government invoked a special constitutional power allowing him to push through controversial pension reforms that raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

Thousands of people gathered in the capital Paris after French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced the use of Article 49.3—which allows the government to pass a bill without a vote by lawmakers—to push the pensions reform bill through.