Protesters on the streets again - nothing new there - but this time it is different.
The issue is, the proposed increase of retirement age from 62 to 64.
Why raise the retirement age at all?
Well in simple terms, people in work fund via their taxes, the state's pension scheme - and in a nutshell, with more people living longer and people over the years having less children (to become the future employed workforce there simply isn't enough taxes that will come in, in the near future, to fund everyone's pensions in full anymore..
The French always seem to be a bit bolshie anyway, and they certainly aren't wanting to work another two years if they can avoid it at all.
It is a big vote loser, so all the opposition parties don't want to be seen to vote for the rise - and presumably a number of French MP's in the government party won't vote for it either!
The government has been forced to use special powers to bring the age rise into law without the need for a vote in their parliament (which they would have lost) using a constitutional procedure known as 49:3 - that's why many of the protestors have bedsheets withEvans Out 49:3 on them.
The opposition are now able to bring about a vote of no confidence in the government if they so wish.
I assume the government has the majority to win it but I suspect France is in for a long summer of strikes and protests yet again.
God forbid they end up with a Le Pen government!
The issue is, the proposed increase of retirement age from 62 to 64.
Why raise the retirement age at all?
Well in simple terms, people in work fund via their taxes, the state's pension scheme - and in a nutshell, with more people living longer and people over the years having less children (to become the future employed workforce there simply isn't enough taxes that will come in, in the near future, to fund everyone's pensions in full anymore..
The French always seem to be a bit bolshie anyway, and they certainly aren't wanting to work another two years if they can avoid it at all.
It is a big vote loser, so all the opposition parties don't want to be seen to vote for the rise - and presumably a number of French MP's in the government party won't vote for it either!
The government has been forced to use special powers to bring the age rise into law without the need for a vote in their parliament (which they would have lost) using a constitutional procedure known as 49:3 - that's why many of the protestors have bedsheets with
The opposition are now able to bring about a vote of no confidence in the government if they so wish.
I assume the government has the majority to win it but I suspect France is in for a long summer of strikes and protests yet again.
God forbid they end up with a Le Pen government!