The president infuriated left-leaning politicians by invoking special constitutional powers to pass the pensions measure. Which he claimed was necessary to prevent the system from failing.
There were rare scenes of chaos in the French parliament as President Emmanuel Macron used his special powers to pass an unpopular pension measure that seeks to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64.
In the national assembly (lower house), opposition politicians booed and chanted as left-leaning lawmakers sang the national anthem in response to the news that the legislation could pass without a vote.
The public has also responded strongly to the government’s decision. In an unplanned rally on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, across the Seine from the assembly. Roughly 7,000 individuals demonstrated against the proposed pension adjustments.
According to a Reuters reporter, police used tear gas and a water cannon to disperse protestors. While officers who charged groups of demonstrators were pelted with cobblestones.
A police officer who fell to the ground and appeared to be injured was assisted by his colleagues.
The decision to invoke the special power – article 49.3 – was made during a cabinet meeting at the presidential palace, mere minutes before the scheduled vote, because Mr. Macron had no assurance that he would obtain a majority in the assembly.
He argued that reforms were needed to save the pension system as the populace aged and lived longer.
However, it is anticipated that the move will result in motions of no confidence in his government.
The senate (upper house) passed the bill by a vote of 193 to 114 on Thursday, a result that was widely anticipated given that the conservative majority there supports the reforms.
As the prime minister, Elisabeth Borne attempted to formally declare the special procedure in the assembly, some left-wing politicians held up signs that read “no to 64 years” while the leader of the far-right, Marine Le Pen, demanded her resignation.
Other opposition politicians entered the chamber to demand that the government resign.
The disruption caused the speaker to momentarily delay the session to restore order.
Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leader of the left-leaning France Insoumise party, termed the move a “spectacular failure.” (France Unbowed).
“This bill has no parliamentary legitimacy and no street legitimacy,” he declared during a protest outside the parliament.
According to public opinion polls, a vast majority of voters oppose the pension reforms, as do labor unions. Who argue that there are other methods to balance the pension system’s budget.
Olivier Faure, leader of the Socialist Party, previously stated that the measure could unleash “uncontrollable anger” in the wake of weeks of rolling strikes and protests that have disrupted power production, halted some shipments from refineries, and left Paris streets littered with trash.
A vote of no confidence needs at least half of the 287 lower house seats.
If such a motion passed, the government would be required to resign.
