French finance minister backs pension push, UAE’s COP28 pick

By JON GAMBRELL
Associated Press

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Trying to sell France to Emirati investors, France’s finance minister has highlighted what he described as the business-friendly overhaul of President Emmanuel Macron while on a trip to Abu Dhabi. However, Bruno Le Maire’s comments Monday in the United Arab Emirates sidestepped ongoing protests back home over a planned pension overhaul. Le Maire’s trip to Abu Dhabi comes as over 1 million people marched days earlier to protest a plan by Macron’s government to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64. More marches are planned for Tuesday, with labor unions already uniting against the proposal affecting state pension system that all retirees can access. Le Maire backed the overhaul in later comments to journalists.