Macron defying pension opponents

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron told allies yesterday he planned to keep the government in place and not dissolve parliament, defying opponents and public anger over his pensions reform.

Police arrested another 234 people in Paris during clashes between protesters and security forces. The latest unrest came after Macron’s centrist government narrowly survived two no-confidence motions in parliament on Monday, meaning the legislation to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 looks almost certain. At a meeting yesterday, Macron called on allies to provide ideas in two to three weeks for “a change in method and reform agenda”, said an official. |