Another sign of the times:
Sarkozy follows Europe in raising retirement age - Europe, World - The Independent
Sarkozy follows Europe in raising retirement age.
The French, who have the youngest retirement age in Europe, will soon have to work longer to qualify for a full state pension. As unions called a nationwide strike to defend pension rights today, the government said that France could no longer afford the retirement age of 60 – for both men and women – which has existed since 1982.