France appoints new politician to examine tricky pensions reforms

France appointed Laurent Pietraszewski on Wednesday as the new politician tasked with examining reforms to the country's pension system, following the resignation of previous pensions tsar Jean-Paul Delevoye.

The plans by President Emmanuel Macron to overhaul the French pension systems have been opposed by major trade unions, which have begun nationwide protests and strikes.

France's transport networks were crippled and schools were shut during the thirteenth day of strikes on Tuesday, and unions said there would not be any respite over Christmas.