France's Melenchon Says Macron Showed Contempt For People In Interview On Pension Reform

French President Emmanuel Macron showed contempt for the French people during his first interview after the adoption of the controversial pension reform, Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leader of the left-wing La France Insoumise party, said on Wednesday

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd March, 2023) French President Emmanuel Macron showed contempt for the French people during his first interview after the adoption of the controversial pension reform, Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leader of the left-wing La France Insoumise party, said on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Macron gave an interview with the France 2 and TF1 broadcasters, in which he outlined his vision of the reform, saying that it was necessary, though he himself was not happy to have to carry it out.

"The president of the republic once again have made remarks without saying anything substantial. Out of what we have understood, we see usual signs of contempt that he has previously shown toward us," Melenchon told journalists.

The prominent French politician called Macron's interview a "comedy" as the president wanted to accuse people of not wanting to work.

On March 16, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced that the government had adopted the law on raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030 by invoking Article 49.3 of the constitution, which allowed the bill to get passed without parliamentary approval. The decision sparked a strong backlash, prompting people to take to the streets across the country.

The opposition tried to prevent the adoption of the law on Monday through a vote of no confidence in the French government, but failed to secure an absolute majority in the parliament twice.

There have been several general strikes and hundreds of demonstrations in France within the last two months, with over 1 million people taking part in most of them. During the protests, clashes often broke out between the police and the protesters.