France: From pension reforms to pre-olympic jitters
Our defining moment of the first part of the year, was the strong social movement against pension reform.
Two in three French people opposed the plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 and increasing the minimum contribution duration to 43 years.
It’s worth noting that, even after the rise to 64, France will remain one of the countries with the youngest retirement age in the Western world (it’s 67 years in Germany, Denmark, and Poland, and 65 years in many other countries). Meanwhile, unanswered questions remain. What does the future of working life look like for over 50s? For what meaning? Personal fulfilment? Keeping one’s head above water? Uncertainties about how our ageing societies will adapt during the years to come are not confined to France, as our article on the politics of demographics shows.
In late June, following the death of a 17-year-old Franco-Algerian youth who was killed by a police officer claiming self-defense, riots and looting swept through France for about ten days. Despite their sense of déjà vu, this time these events involved the symbols of the state and usually peaceful medium-sized towns. They bring back all the unresolved social problems we have seen over the last thirty years or more: immigration, the state of our peripheral suburbs, discrimination, high unemployment, violence…
Inflation remained the number one concern throughout the year, resulting in increasing attention to value for money. Local products and brands are the big winners: 85% of the French want to prioritize the “local” in their lifestyle. The “local” transforms geography into culture thanks to the eco-romantic imagination it mobilizes: authenticity, nostalgia, traditionalism. Local brands are synonymous with small and close, short-circuit, artisanal, loyalty to a terroir, challenging the industrial players.
In 2023, France also worked on its preparations for the 2024 Olympic Games, which will see Paris as host city. In March, 500 days before the opening, 54% of French people said they were looking forward to attending the competition. Since May, the high price of tickets has dampened the enthusiasm and many, especially in the Paris region, question the security and capacity of the infrastructure. More and more people intend to rent their accommodation at as high a price as possible, while hotels are already multiplying their prices by a multiple of six or more. National pride and good deals are not antithetical.
Alexandre Guérin
Country Manager, Ipsos in France