France Strikes: Violent Clashes, Fires and Teargas Mar Macron's Vision

From this. to this. clashes between protesters and the police have become a regular scene of Parisian life, with beings burning and tear gas, reminding of the student revolution of May 1968. Even in the southwest city of Bordeaux, the gate of city hall was set on fire. Meanwhile, the garbage has accumulated in the city hall, it's a very different image from the dynamic modern France promoted by Emmanuel Macron when he was first elected in 2017. The 45-year-old former banker wants to raise the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64. Most French are opposed to this, giving Macron two major problems.

Problem number one, critics say he's touching the very heart of the French way of life and social model. Problem number two, his method, lacking a parliamentary majority, the government used a decree to force the reform through without a vote that has angered millions of French people. Macron's popularity has increased, millions of French people. Macron's popularity has fallen to the lowest in four years. Protests by the so-called Yellow Vests against fuel taxes blighted his first term. Now the deep opposition to his pension overall could threaten the remaining four years of his reform agenda and leave the door open for the National Rally candidate Marine Le Pen. Thank you.

Caroline Connan, Emmanuel Macron, France, Protests, retirement age