French PM warns of `no magic` end to standoff over pension changes
(The Guardian France)

Édouard Philippe spoke as transport chaos continues in wake of nationwide protestsThe French prime minister, Édouard Philippe, warned lawmakers to prepare for a long battle over proposed changes to the pensions system, as more than 300,000 people took to the streets on Tuesday as a transport strike to ran into a second week.Rail-workers, teachers, air traffic controllers, doctors, national library staff and even ballet dancers marched through Paris and other cities to protest against the biggest overhaul of the French pension system since the post-war period.A grassroots citizens´ protest movement began in early November 2018 against a planned rise in the tax on diesel and petrol, which Emmanuel Macron insisted would aid the country´s transition to green energy. A poll at the time found that the price of fuel had become France´s biggest talking point. Continue reading...