The Biggest Challenge of Presidency!

The French president Emmanuel Macron is facing the biggest challenge of his presidency as he confronts a wave of protests against his controversial pension reforms. For more than a month, millions of workers, students, teachers, lawyers, doctors and other professionals have taken to the streets across the country, disrupting transport, schools, hospitals and public services. They are angry at Macron's plan to replace the current system of 42 different pension schemes with a single, universal system based on points. They fear that this will lower their pensions, raise the retirement age and erode their rights and benefits.

Macron argues that his reforms are necessary to simplify and modernise the pension system, which he says is unfair, complex and unsustainable. He claims that his plan will create more equality and transparency, and ensure the long-term viability of the pension system in the face of an ageing population and a rising public debt. He has also promised to consult with the social partners and make adjustments to the plan based on their feedback. The government says the reform is necessary to ensure the sustainability of the pension system, which faces a deficit of €17.2bn ($19.4bn) by 2025. It argues that France has one of the lowest retirement ages in Europe and that people are living longer and healthier lives. It also claims that the reform will make the system fairer and more transparent, by replacing the 42 existing pension schemes with a universal points-based system.

However, Macron's approach has failed to convince or appease his opponents, who see his reforms as an attack on their social model and a betrayal of his campaign promises. They accuse him of being arrogant, authoritarian and out of touch with the realities and aspirations of ordinary people. They also distrust his intentions and methods, suspecting that he is using the pretext of simplification to impose a neoliberal agenda that will favour the private sector and the wealthy at the expense of the public sector and the workers.

The protests in France are part of a broader phenomenon of social unrest and political discontent that has erupted in many countries around the world in recent years. They reflect a deep crisis of democracy and legitimacy, as well as a growing gap between the elites and the masses, between the winners and the losers of globalisation, between the centre and the periphery. They also express a demand for more social justice, solidarity and participation in decision-making.

تعتقد الأوبزرفر” مجلة او صحيفة اسبوعية بريطانية ” أن إصلاحات معاشات التقاعد التي أجراها ماكرون مضللة وفي توقيت سيئ. إنهم يخاطرون بتقويض التماسك الاجتماعي والاستقرار في فرنسا ، فضلاً عن سمعتها وتأثيرها في أوروبا وخارجها. كما أنهم يتجاهلون التحديات والفرص الحقيقية التي تواجهها فرنسا في القرن الحادي والعشرين ، مثل تغير المناخ والتحول الرقمي والهجرة والأمن. بدلاً من فرض حل واحد يناسب الجميع من شأنه أن ينفر ويستعدى شرائح كبيرة من المجتمع ، يجب على ماكرون الاستماع إلى منتقديه والتفاعل معهم ، والسعي إلى نهج أكثر توافقية وتقدمية يحترم تنوع وخصوصية المهن المختلفة و القطاعات. يجب عليه أيضًا معالجة الأسباب الجذرية للاستياء والإحباط التي تغذي الاحتجاجات ، مثل عدم المساواة والفقر والبطالة والهشاشة والإقصاء.

The Observer hopes that Macron will show more humility, wisdom and vision in dealing with this crisis. He should recognise that his mandate and legitimacy are not unlimited or unconditional, but depend on his ability to deliver on his promises and to respond to the needs and expectations of his people. He should also realise that his reforms are not only about numbers and calculations, but about values and principles that define the identity and destiny of France. He should remember that France is not only a market or a state, but a nation or a republic that cherishes its social contract and its motto: liberty, equality, fraternity.

In your opinion, will the French government respond to the demands of the demonstrators? Or the French surrender in front of these conditions?

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