France's retirement law published in the Official Gazette
The decrees regarding the implementation of the controversial reform that extended the retirement age by two years in France and became law in April have begun to be published in the Official Gazette. The decree implementing the law, which raises the retirement age from 62 to 64, was published two days before the 14th mass protests that were decided by the unions on June 6. The first decrees of the law, which is expected to be implemented in September, to be published in the Official Gazette were two controversial articles that include a gradual extension of the retirement age. According to the law, which consists of 31 articles in total, public sector workers such as firefighters, police officers and air traffic controllers will still be able to retire before the age of 64 in some cases, and those who started working early and completed the required 43 years will also be able to retire early. Meanwhile, a bill that foresees the withdrawal of the law, which was approved by the Parliament without a vote despite mass protests and intense opposition across the country, will be discussed in the National Assembly on June 8. Pension reform Mass demonstrations began in France on March 16 after the government decided to pass a bill that would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 without a vote. The police cracked down on the protesters, and violence broke out in many parts of the country. More than 1,000 people were arrested in protests held across the country starting on March 16. The Constitutional Council, which the opposition and the government applied to determine whether the reform was constitutional, approved the article of the bill that raised the retirement age to 64, and rejected 6 articles in whole or in part.