Emmanuel Macron has performed a humiliating U-turn and agreed to suspend his pension reform in order to avoid another collapsed government - his surrender will ultimately harm France, says John Lichfield. A French economist won a share of the Nobel Prize this week for his work on creative destruction. The country has chosen another path - destructive immobilism. In 2023 Macron won a pensions victory on behalf of the French people but against the will of the French people.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu faces two no-confidence motions this week as France's political crisis deepens. France's embattled prime minister says he backs suspending a pension reform until after the 2027 presidential election in a bid to end the political turmoil that has gripped the country for months. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, 39, announced on Tuesday that he supports pausing an unpopular reform that raised the age of retirement from 62 to 64 in the hopes of securing enough votes to survive two no-confidence votes.
At least 19 people, including a police officer, have been injured during protests against the government of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte and Congress, according to authorities and human rights advocates. Hundreds of people marched over the weekend towards the seats of government in central Lima, under a heavy police presence. Groups of young people threw stones, petrol bombs and fireworks at law enforcement, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At the moment the chancellor gives away more than 50bn in tax relief for pension saving, most of which goes to wealthier boomers and better-paid gen Xers who do not need the money and would save anyway if state support was more limited. A remodelling of pension subsidies cutting the 40p higher rate to a flat rate of 25p for all savers could claw back 10bn to 20bn in extra income tax and national insurance payments, depending on how the new regime is constructed.
The legislation capped benefits, increased retirement ages, and required workers to pay for at least half of pension costs, marking a significant restructuring of pension systems.
The underlying issue affecting our recruitment and retention is the Tier 6 Reform, which drastically reduced pension benefits, leading to a decline in potential court officer recruits.