Macron pushes to raise French retirement age

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday vowed to implement contested pension changes that will make younger generations work longer before retiring.
Macron said the changes - which will gradually increase the minimum retirement age from 62 to 65 by 2031 - would start being applied from next year.
Macron’s comments come as his centrist alliance lost its parliamentary majority in June, making it much more difficult for his government to get laws passed the conventional way in the lower house of parliament.
Most opposition parties, as well as workers unions, are opposed to the pension changes. A proposed pension overhaul had sparked nationwide strikes and protests at the end of the year 2019 during Macron's first term.
The government had then decided to suspend the debate amid the COVID-19 pandemic.