
Macron wants French people to work more and longer
But: ‘Nobody should retire with less than €1000 a month.’
Dr. Sch.- W. – 05/2019
The French President announced at a press conference on 25 April that the
French should work more. This is directly related to Macron’s intention to
significantly reduce income taxes for lower incomes, which is likely to cost
about €5 billion.
This cannot be done without reducing public spending and increasing
working hours. A first strike was the weakening of the 35-hour week, which is no
longer required by law but at the discretion of the social partners.
This also
raises the legitimate issue, from the President’s point of view, of extending
working life as life expectancy continues to rise. Macron does not want to
address the legal retirement age of 62 for the time being. However, the
introduction of a points system could certainly provide more equality. In other
words, anyone who retires with 62 must expect a lower pension than today.
At the same time, the head of state wants to increase the value of the
minimum pension. Nobody should retire with less than €1000 a month.