In France's Labor Day Protest, 'Reelection' Macron Condemned... Left-Wing Forces Unite Ahead of General Election

by Jeong Hyunjin

Published 02 May.2022 07:56(KST)

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Large-scale protests took place across France on May 1 (local time), Labor Day, just one week after French President Emmanuel Macron secured re-election. Ahead of next month's general elections, the left-wing camp rallied through intense demonstrations involving tear gas.

According to The Guardian and others, labor union groups such as the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) held protests in the afternoon in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Lille, and other cities. Over 250 rallies were held nationwide, with the French Ministry of the Interior reporting that 116,500 people participated across the country, including 24,000 in Paris.

The protesters gathered in Paris marched from Place de la R?publique to Place de la Nation, clashing with police. Some participants threw stones at the police, who responded by firing tear gas to disperse the crowd. During the process, a group dressed in black appeared, breaking shop windows, attacking ATMs, and setting trash bins on fire. Paris law enforcement arrested 45 protesters and reported eight injuries among police officers.

Tens of thousands of participants condemned President Macron's labor policies, including the extension of the retirement age from 62 to 65. Philippe Martinez, CGT Secretary-General, addressed President Macron, saying, "We need wage increases, quality jobs, and retirement at 60, not 65." Yves Veyrier, Secretary-General of Workers' Force (FO), also emphasized, "We firmly oppose any form of retirement age extension."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Earlier, President Macron had pledged to extend the retirement age during his re-election campaign but stepped back before the runoff, stating he would adjust the timing to win left-wing voters' support. Even after securing re-election, on April 29, he hinted at possible cooperation with the left-wing camp to block Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally (RN), though no concrete cooperation plans have been announced.

At the Paris protest, Jean-Luc M?lenchon, leader of the far-left La France Insoumise (LFI), who secured the most votes among the fragmented left-wing candidates in the first round of the presidential election, also participated. Although he placed third in the first round and narrowly lost, he enjoys overwhelming support from left-wing voters. Before the march, he declared, "We will not concede a single thing on pensions."

Leader M?lenchon is urging the left-wing camp to unite to prevent the ruling party from securing a majority in the National Assembly in the upcoming general election. Immediately after the presidential election ended on April 24, LFI has been negotiating with left-wing parties such as the Greens (EELV) to unify candidates for the 577 seats contested in the general election.