What follows is an incomplete and irreverent summary of French news from January 2023. Brought to you, in part, by some of France’s favorite cartoonists.
Ushering In the New Year
Macron’s Proposed Retirement Reforms
In January, millions of French people took to the streets to protest President Macron’s proposed retirement reforms. Particularly unpopular is a change to the age of retirement, which would increase from 62 years to 64. If passed, the new plan would gradually begin increasing the age of retirement this fall, with a full transition accomplished by 2030.
Macron attempted to make similar reforms in 2019, setting off massive street protests and the longest transportation strike in French history. Once again, a majority of French people are opposed to the shift. And once again, they are unanimously backed by the country’s labor unions that promise ongoing disruptions and strikes unless Macron backs down from his current position.
“Try to enter 10,000 euros per month starting at the age of 60…”
“Tax the rich!”
“Of course! And healthcare? Research?”
“Tax the rich!”
“Switch to renewable energy? Overhaul the justice system? Modernize infrastructure and defense?”
“Tax the rich! Tax the rich! Tax the rich! Tax the rich!”
Raise in the Age of Retirement
“We need to work longer because we are living longer…”
“But aren’t we living longer because we work less?”
The Environment
“As a billionaire, I’ve decided to take responsibility and allocate part of my fortune…”
“to financing a space program that aims to colonize an even more inhospitable planet!”
“What genius!”
The Economy
Graph labels: Unemployment, Executive Salaries, Populism, Dividends, Poverty, Pollution, Inequity
“Your grandfather was also a miner.. but it was fairly different”
The Latest Apps
A stroke of luck for street vendors!
“Beer” “Wine” “Pastis”
Today: “The AI program that was supposed to do my homework was down.”
Outside France
“If not, I’ll end up under the bridges like mother…”
“My psychiatrist asked where my fear, hatred, and contempt for women comes from…”
“And you said what?”
“I cut his throat.”
“Yes, but these tanks are non-belligerent.”
General Gripes and Grievances
“In the big cities, they’ve already set up speed bumps.”
“It might be time you realize…”
“If I’m realistic, I don’t see how I could be confident.”
On the Lighter Side
You’ll get there!
When you think of quitting..
Think of the road you have already traveled..
“STOP!!! Taxi! Wait, wait!”
“Sorry Sir, I forgot my phone in your taxi…”
“There’s a kid here who’s using it…”
“Oh.. that’s also my kid”
Previous Posts of French Political Cartoons
- Fantastic French Gags, Guffaws, and Grimaces from 2022
- Year-End Humor from France, Ring Out 2021 with a Laugh
- Battle for Ukraine, Through the Eyes of French Editorial Cartoonists
- Tactless or Tactical? French President Macron Threatens Anti-Vaxers
- Drawing Macron, French cartoonists take on their new president
Mais mourir le crayon à la main, oui!
He has the spirit of a true blogger!
Love the poke at Elon Musk’s idiotic Mars obsession.
I can only admire the determination of the French to protect their retirement system from Macron’s “reforms”. And it’s only natural that cartoonists would find this a fruitful topic.
As for “Dieu”, it’s indeed high time they figured it out.
Thanks for collecting all these and translating them.
Ha! I hadn’t thought of the blogger’s demise. That comic is by a very well-known female illustrator named Florence Castec. She’s the first woman to win the Grand Prize at the International Comics Festival in Angoulême. The comic here is a self-portrait. Luckily for her, she’s not likely to be in need of benefits. At 73, she’s still going strong.
I agree, the Elon jab is spot on. I also appreciated the Afghan psychoanalysis even though it’s terribly sick.
The onslaught of cartoons covering the retirement reform continues and in case you were wondering, the French really did announce they are working on a hunter location app (in response to calls for banning hunting on Sundays to make the woods safer for strolls.)
It was fun gathering these. Hopefully, I’ll do more at the end of Feb.
I stand corrected — she has the spirit of a true blogger. 🙂
The Afghan cartoon reminded me of one I saw some time ago, in which an Afghan man is talking to a counselor. The Afghan man says, “My wife is going through ‘the change’ and I just don’t find her attractive any more.” The counselor says, “You mean, menopause?” The Afghan man replies, “No, puberty.”
A really useful hunter location app would be one the animals could use.
I’m sure the cartoonists will continue to be inspired by the pension battle through February, unless Macron finally backs down.
Noting the cartoon about the woman chasing the taxi, are the French as zombified by smartphones as Americans are? It came up on my own blog and I really have no idea.
The Afghan cartoon you mention is indeed similar. After reading, you have to ask yourself “is that actually funny?” Maybe not but at least some media outlets continue to bring the horrors of the worst Islamic theocracies to our attention. I’ve noticed that French media has been covering the uprisings in Iran (and resulting crack downs) far more closely than here in the U.S.
Regarding the animal app, someone is probably working on it. 🙂
Your question about whether French people are as zombied out as Americans is a good one. I can’t answer that, but they are definitely experiencing increased screen addiction since there are plenty of jokes about it.
Excellent, as usual, thanks!
Merci Emma!
Très bien. (Un peu déprimant, mais tellement vrai.) Gorce is one of favourite current cartoonists. His penguins are remarkable…
Tu as raison, “un peu déprimant”. In this cartoon of Gorce, I wonder if he is defending Macron’s actions by implying that the rich (who already pay very high taxes compared to here in the U.S.) can’t be expect to fund every single government program as well as every shortfall. What do you think Gorce is trying to say, Brieuc?
Gorce is one of the best. Here he is making fun of the French left for whom, the only solution to any – of the many – issue we have is: Tax the rich… And they don’t go beyond that. Melenchon wanted to tax the “rich” at 90%. And one has to know that to be rich in France roughly means making more than 3,000 Euros a month. About 30,00 Euros? All that is implied in his cartoon…
That’s what I figured but thanks for further enlightenment.
Avec plaisir chère amie.
Great comics! But I see the French cartoonists are not feeling hopeful.
You’re right Caroline! Overall, I’d say they never have been. Yet, somehow all of that grumbling about life’s injustices serves a positive purpose.
Excellent, Carol ! Many thanks !
You’re welcome. Thanks for reading.