For a nation that idealises equality, France should have been uncomfortable with its asymmetric pension system. A French train driver, mariner or ballet dancer can retire up to 10 years earlier than other workers. The generous but complicated French system incorporates 42 "special regimes" granting a shorter working life and yet better pensions for a range of workers like civil servants, lawyers and employees of the Paris Metro, originally in recompense for arduous work.

The discomfort, though, is most acute for President Emmanuel Macron. His push for reforms, that include dissolving the special regimes in favour of a universal points-based system, has provoked the nation's biggest strikes in 25 years. Disruptions to everyday life notwithstanding, the strikes are supported by nearly 70 per cent of the French who fear the incoming system will require them to work longer for smaller pensions.