Macron to defend French pension plan on national television

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron will explain how he will seek to overcome tensions prompted by his plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. Macron will appear on national television on Wednesday for the first time since his government forced through the bill age amid mass protests. Macron is expected to back his government after it survived two no-confidence votes on Monday at the lower chamber of parliament. His decision last week to use a government’s special constitutional power to push the bill through without a vote infuriated many at parliament and across the country. Scattered protests are being held every day in cities around France.