France: Macron uses special power for unpopular reform

PARIS (AP) — The French government on Thursday invoked a special constitutional power to pass a controversial pension reform without needing parliamentary approval, a risky move for President Emmanuel Macron.

The unpopular bill would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. This decision should trigger a vote of no confidence in the Macron government.

The decision was taken minutes before the vote, as the government had no guarantee that the bill would win a majority in the National Assembly, the lower house.

Pension reform is the flagship legislation of Macron’s second term, but it has sparked huge strikes and protests across the country since January.

As lawmakers gathered in the National Assembly on Thursday to vote on the bill, leftist MPs stormed in to sing the national anthem, La Marseillaise, preventing Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne from speaking and prompting the leader of the chamber to adjourn the sitting.

Outside parliament, the atmosphere was tense as heavily armed guards and riot police surrounded the scenic neighborhoods around the National Assembly.

“There is uncertainty today” as to whether a majority would have voted in favor of the bill “by just a few votes,” Borne explained. “We cannot risk seeing 175 hours of parliamentary debate collapse… We cannot bet on the future of pensions, this reform is necessary”, declared the Prime Minister.

He added that “in a few days, I have no doubt…there will be one or more motions of no confidence. Indeed, there will be a vote of its own and therefore parliamentary democracy will have the last word”.

Left and far-right lawmakers were quick to confirm their next moves.

Far-right MP Marine Le Pen said her National Rally party would cast a vote of no confidence, and communist lawmaker Fabien Roussel said the left was “ready”.

“The mobilization will continue,” Roussel said. “This reform must be suspended.”

A week ago, the Senate approved the bill in a vote of 193-114.

Macron’s alliance lost its parliamentary majority last year, forcing the government to rely on conservative lawmakers to push the bill through. Left and far-right lawmakers are strongly opposed and conservatives are split, making the outcome unpredictable.

The French leader wants to raise the retirement age so workers can pump more money into the system, which the government says is on track to run a deficit.

Nearly 500,000 people demonstrated Wednesday against the project across the country.

Economic challenges sparked widespread unrest across Western Europe. On Wednesday in Britain, teachers, young doctors and public transport workers went on strike to demand higher wages. In Spain, the left-wing government has joined with unions in announcing a “historic” deal to save the pension system by raising payroll taxes for top earners.