France’s President Macron overrides parliament to pass retirement age bill
Members of Parliament of left-wing coalition NUPES (New People’s Ecologic and Social Union) hold placards during the speech of France’s Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne (C), as she confirms to force through pension law without parliament vote during a session on the government’s pension reform at the lower house National Assembly, in Paris on March 16, 2023.
Alain Jocard | Afp | Getty Images
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday resorted to using special constitutional powers to push his plan to raise the retirement age to 64 from 62 through the lower house of parliament.
The pensions overhaul has been met with widespread protests and strikes across France, with the issue seen as extremely contentious in the European nation.
The plans were passed in France’s Senate on Thursday morning but had been due for a vote in the National Assembly (the lower house), where its approval was not guaranteed.
Instead, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced to the assembly that the government would trigger Article 49.3 of the French constitution.
Lawmakers opposed to the reforms booed, chanted and shouted “resignation” as she spoke, Reuters reported. At one point the session was suspended for two minutes as politicians sang the national anthem too loudly for her to be heard.
Macron’s Renaissance party argues reform of the pension system is necessary to sustain it long into the future. It has a projected annual deficit of 10 billion euros ($10.73 billion) each year between 2022 and 2032, according to France’s Pensions Advisory Council.
However, opinion polls suggest a majority of the public supported industrial action to oppose the changes, which include requiring workers to contribute to the system for 43 years to qualify for a full pension.
Strikes have taken place since the start of the year and intensified over the last week, hitting transport, schools, oil refineries, municipal workers and beyond. The action has resulted in trash building up in parts of Paris.
Household waste containers and rubbish dumps continue to pile up on the pavements of Paris streets on 14 March 2023 since garbage collectors went on strike against the French government’s pension reform bill on 6 March 2023.
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images
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