Read More (For subscribers only) IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW – Against a backdrop of rejection of pension reform, mass unemployment, and the erosion of public services, France is undergoing a slow decline, and the state is failing to keep the nation afloat, analyze the pollster, political scientist, and historian. LE FIGARO: Pierre Vermeren, how do you explain the hostility of the majority of French people to pension reform? Does it stem from the fact that it is part of a broader context of "great downward mobility"? Pierre VERMEREN: Emmanuel Macron recently said that it was normal to work more to finance the system because we are living longer, there are fewer people in the workforce, etc. We've been hearing this argument for about thirty years. But the French clearly see that there is a very large number of their fellow citizens who are not working. According to official statistics, there are three million unemployed people in France, but when you include those in involuntarily working part-time, the figure is closer to five or six million. There are also three million young people who are neither employed, nor students, nor interns, and therefore off the radar. And several million able-bodied people who are not working, sometimes for very legitimate reasons such as being a stay-at-home mother. In total, that makes about ten million… This article is for subscribers only. You have 96% left to read.
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MAJOR INTERVIEW – Against a backdrop of rejection of pension reform, mass unemployment and the disintegration of public services, France is slowly sinking and the State is failing to keep the nation afloat, analyze the pollster, political scientist and historian.
LE FIGARO. – Pierre Vermeren, how do you explain the hostility of the majority of French people towards the pension reform ? Does it stem from the fact that it is taking place in a context of "great decline"?
Pierre VERMEREN. – Emmanuel Macron recently said that it was normal to work more to finance the system, because we live longer, there are fewer people in work, etc. We have been hearing this speech for about thirty years. But the French see clearly that there is a very large number of compatriots who do not work. According to official statistics, there are three million unemployed people in France, but if we add in the involuntary part-time work, we count more like five or six. There are also three million young people who are neither employees, nor students, nor doing an internship, and who have therefore disappeared from the radar. And a few million able-bodied people who do not work, sometimes for very legitimate reasons, such as mothers. In total, that makes about ten million…
This article is for subscribers only. You have 96% left to discover.
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