ISLAMABAD: French President Emmanuel Macron rammed a controversial pension reform through parliament without a vote on Thursday, wielding a rarely used constitutional power that risks inciting protests.
The move was an admission by his government that it lacked the necessary majority in the National Assembly to pass legislation raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. The bill was approved by the Senate earlier Thursday morning, but concerns within the ruling party and a refusal by right-wing opposition MPs to support Macron meant the government risked losing a vote in the lower house.
Members of parliament
Prime Minister Elizabeth Borne told MPs, shouting through jeers and boos from the opposition benches, who also loudly sang the French national anthem, the Marseillaise, in protest, that we can’t take the risk of seeing 175 hours of parliamentary debate ending on nothing.
Trade unions and political analysts had warned that enacting legislation by decree, citing the contentious article 49.3 of the constitution, risked radicalizing opponents and depriving the government of democratic legitimacy.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen told reporters that the government has failed miserably and that Borne should resign. She claimed that the government deceived itself from the start into believing it had a majority.
Polls show that 67% of French people oppose the reform, and the government has insisted that it will not invoke Article 49.3, which is seen as undemocratic by critics. According to Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure, when a president does not have a majority in the country, or in the National Assembly, he must withdraw his bill.
The government will face a confidence vote in the next 24 hours, which could lead to its demise. Le Pen stated that her far-right party would file such a petition.
After attempting and failing to pass pension reform during his first term, Macron brought it up again during his re-election campaign last April. He defeated Le Pen by campaigning on a pro-business platform that promised to reduce unemployment and make the French “work more” to fund the country’s social security system.
However, political analysts believe his mandate is shaky, and his party lost its parliamentary majority in the June elections, which saw the far-right become the largest opposition party.
Despite warnings from allies about the pension reform coming so soon after the Covid-19 pandemic and in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, the 45-year-old has pushed ahead. Opposition to the changes has been especially strong in small and medium-sized towns, where Le Pen receives the majority of her support.
The government’s greatest fear is re-igniting violent anti-government protests, with memories of the 2018 revolt by so-called “Yellow Vest” protesters who took to the streets to criticize Macron’s policies and governing style still fresh. Macron had promised a “new method” for his second term, one that would be less top-down.
Garbage piles
Over the last six weeks, strikes have disrupted trains, schools, public services, and ports, while some of the largest protests in decades have taken place. On March 7, an estimated 1.28 million people took to the streets.
A series of rolling strike by municipal garbage collectors in Paris has also resulted in approximately 7,000 tons of uncollected trash piling up in the streets, attracting rats and disappointing tourists. The collectors’ strike has been extended until next Monday, with chances of serious public health issues fueling calls for authorities to step in.
To avoid major deficits, the government has argued that raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, eliminating benefits for some public sector workers, and toughening eligibility criteria for a full pension are all necessary.
The change would also bring France in line with the majority of its European neighbors, who have raised the retirement age to 65 or higher. According to trade unions and other critics, the reform will penalize low-income workers in manual jobs who tend to start their careers early, forcing them to work longer hours than graduates who will be less affected by the changes.
The political ramifications of imposing a reform opposed by the majority of the population are unknown to Macron and the country as a whole. The head of the CGT union, Philippe Martinez, warned this week that forcing the legislation through without a vote would be tantamount to “giving the keys of the Elysee” to Marine Le Pen for the next presidential election in 2027.
