Macron Stakes Economic Legacy on Pension Reform Fight
Labor and student groups have put the president on notice that they’ll take to the streets over his pension reform.
French President Emmanuel Macron
Photographer: Ludovic Marin/ReutersEmmanuel Macron can claim significant progress on a plan to lead France through a decade-long transformation toward his vision of a job-rich, open economy that acts as a magnet for investment and business. His efforts have lured bankers from Brexit-torn Britain, helped create dozens of billion-dollar tech startups and even contributed to an employment uptick in the long-suffering manufacturing sector.
But the youngest French leader since Napoleon now risks setting off economically paralyzing social upheaval after cornering himself in a battle over the final piece of his reform puzzle: making the French work longer and retire later.