Pension reform demonstrations in France - statistics & facts
Since 1995, different French governments, mainly from the right of the political spectrum, have reformed the pension system. These reforms have been met by opposition from the French population who often took to the streets to express their disagreement, with a specific point of tension concerning the retirement age which has been pushed higher by the reforms.
Historically, demonstrations against pension reform were often the ones that drew the biggest crowds. For instance, among all demonstrations that have happened in France in the last 40 years, the protests of October 12 and 19, 2010 against Eric Woerth's pension reform were the two largest, at around 3.5 million participants, according to organizers. Another feature of demonstrations against the pension reforms is that overall, these mobilization movements were well supported by the French population. The October 2010 protests for example, inspired either support or sympathy for 71 percent of the population.
During demonstrations, the protesters were often joined by more radical individuals, responding to different political affiliations, causing more degradations and damage to be reported. For instance, at the end of April 2023, the City of Paris accounted for more than 536,000 Euros of cleaning expenses. Moreover, physical injuries to people were also reported, with the police announcing that between March and May 2023, at least 524 policemen were injured during reform demonstrations. On the other hand, protesters themselves were also victims of this violence. During the May 1st demonstration, which were particularly violent, the National Observatory volunteer first aid workers estimated that at least 590 people were injured due to police repression and were directly taken care of on-site.
Despite a social mobilization that lasted for months and weekly demonstrations that were organized, the 2023 reform was still approved on April 14, 2023, not without 400,000 demonstration participants in Paris, who took to the streets during one of the last protests, on April 13, 2023.
Historically, demonstrations against pension reform were often the ones that drew the biggest crowds. For instance, among all demonstrations that have happened in France in the last 40 years, the protests of October 12 and 19, 2010 against Eric Woerth's pension reform were the two largest, at around 3.5 million participants, according to organizers. Another feature of demonstrations against the pension reforms is that overall, these mobilization movements were well supported by the French population. The October 2010 protests for example, inspired either support or sympathy for 71 percent of the population.
Demonstrations and violence during Macron’s government pension reform
On the eve of the first demonstration organized against Macron’s government pension reform and planned on January 19, 2023, almost 30 percent of French people considered participating. After months of social mobilization in 2023, the movement against Elisabeth Borne and Emmanuel Macron's pension reform was noticeable for its longevity. Indeed, the mobilization lasted for 14 days of demonstrations, compared to the protests against Juppé’s government reform in 1995, which lasted for only five days. Another characteristic of the 2023 protests was the sporadic violence and damage that occurred, especially after March 16, 2023, when Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne decided to make use of the 49.3 article of the Constitution, allowing to engage the government's responsibility and adopt the reform without facing the Parliament's vote.During demonstrations, the protesters were often joined by more radical individuals, responding to different political affiliations, causing more degradations and damage to be reported. For instance, at the end of April 2023, the City of Paris accounted for more than 536,000 Euros of cleaning expenses. Moreover, physical injuries to people were also reported, with the police announcing that between March and May 2023, at least 524 policemen were injured during reform demonstrations. On the other hand, protesters themselves were also victims of this violence. During the May 1st demonstration, which were particularly violent, the National Observatory volunteer first aid workers estimated that at least 590 people were injured due to police repression and were directly taken care of on-site.
Public support
In general, the majority of the French gave their support to the social movement against the reform, defending the political aspect of it, rather than the violent acts. In fact, according to a survey conducted in March 2023, 57 percent of respondents condemned any type of violence that occurred during the demonstrations. However, 38 percent believed that the government should be held accountable for the violence rather than the protesters or the police.Despite a social mobilization that lasted for months and weekly demonstrations that were organized, the 2023 reform was still approved on April 14, 2023, not without 400,000 demonstration participants in Paris, who took to the streets during one of the last protests, on April 13, 2023.
