110: On the French pension reform and ongoing strikes

If you were to walk the streets of Paris today, you’d see about 7,000 tons of garbage piling up on sidewalks. The stench after a week of no garbage collection is, you might say, ungodly. Some residents have seen an uptick in rat socialising. And according to reports, this could go on until at least next Monday March 20th. This trash assault is the result of strikes in response to the Macron government’s pension reform plans which lawmakers are debating and voting on this very week. In this short episode, I provide some context for the reforms, how the population at large perceives the proposed changes, and what the strikes have meant for residents (naturally, my opinion is thrown into the mix!). Links below for further reading:  City of ... Garbage? Paris, amid strikes, is drowning in trash.Macron's Pension Reform Passes the Senate. Now what? Video of the scene from my friend Jay Swanson The New Paris Dispatch newsletter Thanks to Matthew Jordan for technical production and editing on this episode!