A feeling of déjà vu pervaded the French capital on Monday as hundreds of thousands of protesters unfurled their posters and strikes paralysed public transport in opposition to the government’s announced pension reform. The proposed changes, a cornerstone of Macron's reform agenda but also a high-stakes test of his reputation as a reformer, are particularly controversial at a time when many French households are struggling with inflation and rising energy prices.
In 2019, during his first term, President Emmanuel Macron tried to overhaul France’s pension system, provoking widespread opposition in the streets, but the government had to postpone its plans when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
