“France Prepares for Further Protests as Pension Negotiations Remain Deadlocked”

France is preparing for further demonstrations and strikes on Thursday to protest against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform, following unsuccessful negotiations with unions.

This marks the 11th day of action against the reform since January, and despite the movement losing some momentum, the unions are hoping for a significant turnout.

France’s Constitutional Council will announce its decision on the reform’s legality on April 14th, which could result in the legislation being struck down.

Macron’s proposal includes increasing the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64, and the resulting protests turned into violent unrest after the bill was passed without a vote.

These latest talks also failed due to the prime minister’s refusal to discuss the retirement age issue. Union leaders have called for mass protests and strikes on Thursday.