The decision came minutes before a vote is expected in the National Assembly, the lower house of France’s parliament, France 24 reported. Left-wing politicians called it a major defeat and a sign of government weakness . Many have urged unions to step up the strikes and protests that have been going on since January against the increase in the retirement age.
Minutes before members of the lower house were due to vote on the controversial law, Macron was still holding a series of hectic meetings with high-profile political figures and suddenly decided to use special powers instead of risking a vote. he looked set to lose, reports the Guardian. . The key point of the Elysée pension reform is to raise the retirement age in France from 62 to 64 years. This decision led to mass protests in the country. On Wednesday, a historic record was set: up to 1.7 million people took to the streets of French cities.
Macron has already congratulated his fellow citizens for the adoption of the law on raising the retirement age. “This is a great victory for our democracy! French, your voice has been heard! The vote in parliament was useless. I saw from the window of my residence that you are all FOR! It’s been a long time since we’ve had such a unit! said Macron.
For her part, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Born told parliament that the bill would be brought forward because the government could not “put the future of our pensions at stake”. The announcement comes hours after the Senate, France’s upper house, passed the bill on Thursday morning by a vote of 193 to 114, experts expected as the upper house’s conservative majority favors an increase in the retirement age. But the government was unsure of the number of votes in the National Assembly, which forced the French Prime Minister to announce the implementation of Article 49.3.
The leaders of the opposition parliamentary factions in the National Assembly have already announced their intention to vote a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Elizabeth Born. As soon as the chief of staff of the French ministers arrived at the National Assembly, the opposition began to sing “La Marseillaise”, brandishing posters “64 years old – no”, according to Le Figaro. As soon as Born took to the stage and started speaking in support of President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform, they shouted, “Resign! Resign!” Deputies have 24 hours to propose a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly. In this case, it will be discussed and voted on the resolution next Monday, March 20.
