Might Day marchers in France put strain on re-elected Macron By Reuters

By Dominique Vidalon

PARIS (Reuters) – Hundreds of individuals joined Might Day protests throughout France on Sunday to demand social justice and wage will increase and to push newly re-elected President Emmanuel Macron to drop his plan to boost the retirement age.

The price of dwelling was the principle theme within the presidential election marketing campaign and appears set to be equally distinguished forward of June legislative elections that Macron’s get together and its allies should win if he’s to have the ability to implement his pro-business insurance policies, together with growing retirement age to 65 for 62

About 250 rallies had been organised in Paris and different cities together with Lille, Nantes, Toulouse and Marseille.

Within the French capital, commerce unionists had been joined by political figures – largely from the left – and local weather activists.

Marchers carried banners studying “Retirement Earlier than Arthritis”, “Retirement at 60, Freeze Costs” and “Macron, Get Out”

“The stronger the mobilisation for this Might Day, the tougher we will weigh on the federal government’s insurance policies,” Philippe Martinez, the top of the hardline CGT union, instructed Reuters earlier than the rallies.

“The federal government has received to take care of the buying energy drawback by elevating wages,” he stated.

Macron gained a brand new five-year presidential time period after beating far-right challenger Marine Le Pen in final Sunday’s runoff vote.

Far-left chief Jean-Luc Melenchon, who got here third within the first spherical of the presidential vote, was attending the Paris march.

He desires to rally a union of the left, together with the Greens, to dominate parliament and drive Macron into a clumsy “cohabitation” however to date this has not materialised.

“We won’t make a single concession on pensions,” Melenchon stated earlier than the march began.

He stated he nonetheless hoped an settlement to construct a brand new “standard union” of the left might be reached by this night.

In contrast to in earlier years, Marine Le Pen didn’t lay a wreath in Paris on the statue of Joan or Arc, whom her get together makes use of as a nationalist image. She was changed by the Rassemblement Nationwide Interim President Jordan Bardella, who stated Le Pen was getting ready for the legislative elections.

Le Pen urged voters in a video message to elect as many deputies from her get together as potential in June in order that she may “defend your buying energy,” and stop Macron from carrying a “dangerous mission for France and the French individuals”

France will maintain parliamentary elections on June 12 and 19.