The mobilization against the pension reform "is beyond what we thought", welcomed Laurent Berger (CFDT) at midday.
The figures are now known: in total, "more than two million" people marched everywhere in France, according to the CGT against 1.12 million, according to the Ministry of the Interior, to protest against the postponement of the legal age of leaving at age 64.
In Paris, 400,000 demonstrators marched three kilometers from Place de la République to say no to the government's flagship reform according to the CGT, against 80,000 according to the Interior.
An upcoming strike date on the table
Overall, the figures mentioned are comparable or even higher than those of December 5, 2019: at the start of the protest against the previous pension reform project, the police had counted 806,000 demonstrators in France, the CGT 1.5 million.
This first day had test value for the executive as well as for the unions, which will meet from 6 p.m. to decide on a new date – January 26 is on the table.
Read also Pension reform: what is a successful demonstration?
The oil CGT wants to go back on strike that day for 48 hours, and on February 6 for 72 hours.
The CGT Mines-Energie has also announced a renewable strike.
Cuts in electricity production have already intensified sharply on Thursday, reaching at least the equivalent of twice the consumption of Paris.
Before the presentation of the text in the Council of Ministers on January 23, the government continues to work on "pedagogy", Elisabeth Borne defending a "project that brings social progress for the country".