French conservatives sack deputy leader over pension reform split
Aurélien Pradié , deputy leader of France's Les Républicains party, which is supporting President Emmanuel Macron's draft lesgislation to raise the retirment age, now being debated in parliament, has been sacked over his public opposition to the bill.
FranceFrance’s conservative rightwing Les Républicains party sacked Aurélien Pradié as deputy party leader on Saturday, after he failed to join the party in backing President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to raise the retirement age, reports The Guardian.
Macron wants the French to retire at 64 instead of 62, a policy he says would save France’s creaking state pension system from collapse but which has sparked protests across the country.
Support from Les Républicains is crucial as that party holds the majority in the French Senate, which is where the planned government legislation now goes after initial scrutiny at the Assemblee Nationale lower house of parliament.
“I have dismissed from his role as party executive vice-president Mr Aurélien Pradié,” said party leader Éric Ciotti in a statement.
