French President Emmanuel Macron has signed into law a hotly contested retirement overhaul which raises the retirement age from 62 to 64 years old and extends the years of work required to receive a full pension to 43 years. The Constitutional Council on Friday ruled in favor of the measure, after Macron and his party had to force it through by executive action, given its widespread unpopularity, including among lawmakers. Protests continue as union leaders seek to ramp up the pressure on Macron.

Sophie Binet: “For three months, there have been extremely important strikes, demonstrations, and our determination is not weakened. This will relaunch the mobilization this evening. For the first time since the end of the Second World War, unions jointly call on all employees to massively demonstrate on May 1 to win the withdrawal of this reform.”