The French opposition tabled a motion of censure after Macron’s decree imposing pension reform

The independent deputies announced this Friday the presentation of a motion of censure “transpartidaria” against the French government, also signed by legislators from left oppositionin response to the controversial adoption of the pension reform.

“The vote on this motion will enable us to get out of a deep political crisis”, declared the chairman of the LIOT parliamentary group, Bertrand Pancher. The adoption of this motion would overthrow the government, but also the unpopular reform that it decided to carry out on Thursday without submitting it to the vote of the deputies.

The motion has been signed by 91 MPs from various parties, announced the president of the centrist and regionalist parliamentary group, but has not received the written support of any MP from the conservative LR party, whose approvals will be necessary when it is voted. it is to succeed. .

The bone Protesters blocked traffic in Paris Friday as angry critics, political opponents and unions across France denounced the president’s decision, Emmanuel Macronto force a bill raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 to pass Parliament without a vote.

Macron ordered on Thursday Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne to exercise a special constitutional power to push through the unpopular pension reform without a vote in the National Assembly, the lower house of the French parliament.

His calculated risk angered opposition lawmakers, many citizens and trade unions. Thousands of people demonstrated on Thursday in the Place de la Concordebefore the Assembly. As night fell, police charged at protesters in waves to clear the scene. Then, small groups moved through the neighboring streets of the elegant district of the Champs Elyseeswhere they started street fires.

Similar scenes were repeated in many other cities, from Rennes and Nantesin the east of the country, Lyons and the port city of Marseillesin the south, where the windows of many shops and bank offices were smashed, according to French media.

Speaking to the radio RTL On Friday, the Minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmaninsaid 310 people were arrested overnight and the majority of the arrests, 258, were made in Paris.

The unions which have organized strikes and marches against the government’s plan have said that in the coming days there will be more mobilizations. “This pension reform is brutal, unfair, unjustified for the working world,” they said.

Macron has made changes to the pension system a top priority in his second term, saying reform is needed to prevent the fund from running into deficit as France, like many other wealthy countries, faces a drop in there birth-rate and an increase in life expectancy.

The president decided to invoke the special power at a government meeting held minutes before the scheduled vote in the National Assembly, where there was no guarantee it would continue. The Senate had given the green light to the measure before Thursday.

The opposition demanded the resignation of the government. If the motion of no confidence goes ahead, for which an absolute majority of the chamber is necessary, it would be the first successful since 1962 and would force the departure of the executive, in addition to the withdrawal of the plan.

Macron could re-elect Borne, if he wishes, and a new government would be appointed. If the motion is rejected, the pension reform will be deemed to have been approved.

News in development…