November 2007 strikes in France retire with full pension benefits after 37.5 years rather than 40 years. The Sarkozy administration claims the current pension system allows some public sector workers to retire as early as age 50. The government calculated the cost of these early-retirement benefits at $7 billion a year. President Nicolas Sarkozy felt that his victory in the 2007 presidential election gave him a mandate to carry out labour reforms, stating "I said before I was elected what I would do," and "we will do these reforms because they have to be done." He declared the strikes a test of political will. "I
Bahá'í Faith in France of France became a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for pioneering to Medeira. In a few years she would return and serve on the National Spiritual Assembly of France. In May 1955 the first known wave of coordinated pioneers who moved to live in new places were noted for France – eight adults went to: Orleans, Bordeaux, and Périgueux. That summer Lyon hosted the first all-France Bahá'í summer school 12–20 August attracting 63 Bahá'ís from 14 locations in France among others including Bahá'ís from its earliest days in France as well as the new pioneers. This was also the event at which