Amidst overwhelming resistance, the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, continues to push his plan to raise the retirement age to 64. Currently the minimum retirement age is 62. 

Emmanuel Macron (45), who has been recently reelected, is currently in the first year of his second and final term as president. He won the election with 58.6% of the vote against Marine Le Pen and included pension reform as a major part of his re-election campaign. 

Macron hopes to have the bill become law by this summer, which would raise the legal retirement age by 3 months each year. Parliament begins discussions about it next month. 

President Macron originally stated he would raise the retirement age from its position at 62 to 65, but recently reduced it to 64. He claims that this change is necessary to “ensure the balance of [France’s] system for years and decades to come,” adding that it would pass down a “fair and durable social model.” 

In an interview with French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, she said the age was “no longer negotiable” 

In response, over a million people marched in the streets of France in protest, most gathering at Place d’italie, Paris. These protests caused the Eiffel Tower to be closed to tourists and other visitors. Additionally, approximately 60% of teachers participated in walkouts, causing over 100 schools to be expected to close. 

Opponents of this new policy disagree with the fact that the government cited the increased life expectancy. A hospital worker spoke to the New York Times at a protest and argued that “we live longer and that’s for the best, not a reason to die at work.” 

If it becomes law, France will still be below the average retirement age of other developed countries in Europe.