French reforms could fuel support for radical parties

Significance

The legislation, which is due to take effect from September 1, will see the French retirement age increase from 62 to 64 while the years of social contributions will increase from 42 to 43 years. The Council’s verdict is probably the last key hurdle for Macron in his bid to implement his most important reform goal.

Impacts

• Should strikes over pensions persist, the most affected sectors would be railways, oil refineries and rubbish collection.
• The unions’ failure to reverse the pension reforms could damage their legitimacy among French voters.
• Macron’s chances of obtaining future parliamentary support from the centre-right have weakened due to the pensions controversy.