Nationwide Protests in France Over Pension Reforms Reach Critical Point.

France's Constitutional Council is set to rule on the legality of President Emmanuel Macron's pension system reforms, which would raise the retirement age for most workers from 62 to 64 and increase the number of years in work required to receive a full pension. While opponents argue that the changes disproportionately impact lower-paid workers and women, Macron and French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire argue that the reforms are fiscally necessary to secure the costly pension system into the future. Widespread strikes and protests have been staged since the start of the year, and while some hope the Constitutional Council will fully reject the bill, many commentators say that is unlikely.