French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that a state visit by British King Charles III will be tentatively delayed until early summer due to mass protests against the French government's pension reform
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th March, 2023) French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that a state visit by British King Charles III will be tentatively delayed until early summer due to mass protests against the French government's pension reform.
Macron, who spoke on the sidelines of the EU leaders' summit in Brussels, was grilled by reporters about whether it was "totally humiliating" for France not to be able to guarantee the monarch's safety during the visit.
"I think you can see the situation, which is linked to protests over the pension reform in France," Macron responded, adding it was a "common sense" decision to delay the king's trip.
"It wouldn't be serious or sensible of us to propose that his Majesty the King and his consort make a state visit amid the demonstrations ... So, we proposed that at the beginning of the summer ... we will together arrange a new state visit," he said.
Hundreds of thousands have been striking across France since Thursday in protest at the retirement age hike. Macron said trade unions called another nationwide strike for Tuesday, while the king was due to visit France from Monday through Wednesday.
