A year after his re-election, French President Emmanuel Macron has drawn a positive balance despite heavy criticism of his pension reform and his style of government.
Since taking office in 2017, 1.7 million jobs have been created, unemployment has fallen to a historically low level and the number of training places has increased from 300,000 to 800,000, Macron said in an interview with regional newspapers in eastern France. With enormous investments, for example in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, the reindustrialization of France is being pushed ahead and full employment is being striven for.
“The issue of pensions is part of an agenda to make France stronger. Work is a key element. There is no wealth if you don’t create it first,” said the President. “Increasing the retirement age means working more and producing more wealth for the country. It’s an effort for each individual, that’s true and I know, but it’s collectively beneficial.” He was aware that the reform was not well received, but he had to act for the good of the country. With the reform that has now come into force, the retirement age in France will rise from 62 to 64 years.
Main goal: Better wages and housing opportunities
“What feeds the desperation is that we are one of the few countries in Europe that hasn’t beaten mass unemployment and got used to deindustrialization,” Macron said. “We put an end to it and are creating jobs and factories again.”
If industry is allowed to collapse, public service suffers too. “This is the history of France since the 80s. This is the page we are turning.” One of Macron’s main goals was better wages and housing for low-income earners. “One does not live well with a wage of less than 2,000 euros. That must be our priority.”
In conversation with the newspapers in Strasbourg, Nancy and Metz, Macron declared a rejection of demands in Alsace for a return to more independence. As part of the Grand Est region, to which Alsace has belonged for several years, the region bordering Germany achieves more than if it were left on its own. “It is also important to me that no new divisions are created.”
