Rolling train and metro stoppages and nationwide street rallies would not pose serious challenge to France’s economy which has preserved its attractiveness despite a social tense climate, French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Tuesday.

Asked by CNews television whether growth of the eurozone’s second key powerhouse would be affected by unions’ industrial action to oppose a pension overhaul, Le Maire said: “I don’t think the strike will cost France dear.”

“I don’t think that it will have strong impact on the growth because our economy has shown that it is strong and able to withstand such challenge,” the minister said. “I prefer of course that we offer to the international community and investors less images of strikes.

But I note that France has become, economically, the most attractive country in Europe. (It) is recreating industrial jobs, (and) investors are coming,” he added. Since Dec. 5 last year, unions have staged strike in public transport services, causing travel misery for millions of commuters for weeks.

They brought hundreds of thousands of protesters onto the streets across French cities to force the government to reconsider a reform to merge the variety of 42 different pension set-ups for different professions into a universal system.

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