France a nation on the boil after government's pension gambit

The front pages of the French dailies look like a war zone on Friday morning, with images from motorway blockades, demonstrations, piles of blazing rubbish. On the political front, several opposition groups have promised to bring down the government. 

Central Paris on Thursday night. AFP - THOMAS SAMSON

Jean-Luc Mélenchon is smiling on the front page of right-wing Le Figaro.

The hard-left leader of the France Unbowed party, a determined opponent of President Emmanuel Macron, says his party will support an effort by centrist MPs to bring down the government in the wake of Thursday's imposition of controversial pension reforms. 

There are no smiles in Le Monde. The centrist paper features a lead photo of flare-wielding trade union protestors blocking the Paris peripheral motorway.

Le Monde also mentions the possibility of government collapse, noting that rival motions of no confidence from the centre and far right are likely to work in Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne's favour, by dividing the opposition forces.

Left-leaning Libération goes to town with "a night of anger and tension" in the wake of the decision. More than 300 people were arrested nationwide, according to the interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, following what he called an outpouring of "enormous violence".

The headline in communist daily L'Humanité might be politely translated as "Government gives the people two fingers"!

L'Humanité warns that "government scorn for public opposition" has galvanised those who reject the legislation. If there were signs that the nationwide protest movement was running out of energy, says L'Huma, this steamroller democracy has given it a new lease of life.

"Failure", "Defeat", "Disgrace" are some of the key words in the French regional press headlines.

President Macron is "Isolated", "weakened".

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International papers join the scrum

The French parliament features on the front page of today's New York Times.

The Grey Lady's main photo shows banner-waving opposition MPs bellowing while Elisabeth Borne attempted to explain yesterday's decision. The headline reads "Macron decree alters pensions as rage builds".

German paper Die Zeit warns that the country will pay a high price, and for a long time, for this government maladdress. Because, warns the Hambourg daily, after the strikes and blockades are over, popular anger will find other forms of expression. "There are reforms from which a government can never recover," intones Die Zeit ominously.

In Italy, La Repubblica says "Macron ignores the parliament and the people".

Spain's El Païs says French democracy faces a "deep institutional crisis".