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09/07/2010

Traffic jams in the streets, chaos on the ring motorways that circle Paris, cancelled intercity and commuter trains, erratic connections on the Metro: French trade union calls for mass protests against the pension reforms planned by President Nicolas Sarkozy elicited a powerful response on Tuesday. The Interior Ministry estimated that up to 450,000 demonstrators took part in 114 rallies by midday.

Strikes were also held in schools, post offices and city administrative offices. Many newspapers failed to appear at newsstands, and some public radio and television stations were forced to play pre-recorded music.

The march in Paris began in sunshine at the Place de la Republique and was led by prominent opposition politicians and a number of celebrities.

'Nationwide Day of Action'

The "Nationwide Day of Action" was aimed at a landmark reform program that Sarkozy hopes will avert a collapse of the pension system and reestablish his leadership after a summer of gaffes, scandals and embarrassments. The opponents of Sarkozy's pension reform -- which, among other things, would raise the retirement age from 60 to 62 -- see far more to it that just an intellectual battle over the country's coming demographic changes. It is also a test of the credibility of the unions and of the president's power. It also amounts to a settling of scores with Sarkozy.

The president introduced the contentious reform before the summer holidays in a bid to reclaim the political high ground this autumn after a slump in popularity in recent months. His attempt to detract attention from the country's economic problems with a crude debate about immigration and security turned out to be a flop. The expulsion of Roma immigrants and the ugly slurs against that minority even angered prominent politicians within the most conservative ranks of Sarkozy's party.

To make matters worse, it has emerged that Sarkozy's labor minister, Eric Woerth, the man who introduced the pension reform law to parliament, is also entangled in the Bettencourt political corruption scandal. Morally compromised, he could have trouble defending his legislative project against the opposition, who have already issued 470 requests for amendments.

A Test of Sarkozy's Room for Maneuver

That's why the showdown with the unions is a test of the president's room for maneuver -- reason enough for him to reaffirm on Tuesday that he will press ahead with the reforms. Surveys show the French public is deeply divided on the pension reform with around half supporting the increase in the retirement age to 62.

Sarkozy's people have quietly been signalling flexibility. Henri Guaino, the president's advisor, said last weekend that jobs that are more psychologically strenuous could be assessed differently from normal office jobs. Still, the suggestion that concession could be made was not enough to placate the demonstrators in Tuesday's protests.

But if the president and his labor minister, alarmed by the mass mobilization, were to present "additional suggestions" this week, the concessions wouldn't necessarily have to make it look as though Sarkozy and his minister had buckled to public pressure on the streets.

Meanwhile, the trade unions say they plan further demonstrations.