French President Emmanuel Macron is facing his biggest standoff with France's trade unions since coming to power in 2017, with the outcome of a series of strikes and protests seen as decisive for both sides
Macron has faced numerous challenges from the unions in the past and has always succeeded in pushing through his pro-business agenda and social security reforms.
After two days of nationwide strikes and demonstrations, here is what is likely to happen next on the streets, in parliament, inside the government, and in wider French public opinion.On the streets Momentum is clearly with the unions who announced two further days of protests and strikes next week, on Tuesday and Saturday.
The biggest fear of authorities is a repeat of the 2018 so-called "Yellow Vest" protests - a spontaneous movement drawn mostly from the countryside and small-town France that led to shockingly violent clashes with police. The only exception was his first attempt at pension reform - also highly contested - which he withdrew in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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