1 in 3 demonstrators gather in front of the National Assembly to protest against pension reform in Paris, France March 16, 2023 — Photo: Portal/Pascal Rossignol Demonstrators gather in front of the National Assembly to protest against pension reform in Paris, France protest March 16, 2023 — Photo: Portal/Pascal Rossignol
In Paris, more than 6,000 people were in the Place de la Concorde by the end of the day. French unions have already announced plans for another day of strikes and demonstrations, a spokeswoman said.
“The union united front continues to call for the rollback of reform and calls for another day of strikes and demonstrations on Thursday 23 March,” Catherine Perret, leader of hardline union CGT, said at a news conference.
The French government decides to pass the pension reform without MEPs’ consent
President Emmanuel Macron’s government invoked special constitutional powers to pass a hotly contested pension reform without a vote in the National Assembly, where his center party lacks an absolute majority.
What was approved and how?
French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne activated Article 49.3 of the Constitution for the 100th time since 1958, which allows legislation to be passed without a vote in Parliament if the government does not have the required majority.
Seen by its critics as an antidemocratic mechanism, the government of liberal President Emmanuel Macron decided to turn to him to authorize the unpopular increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64.
“The Prime Minister, after consultation with the Council of Ministers, may invoke the responsibility of the government before the National Assembly to vote on a text,” the abovementioned article reads, thereby allowing assent without the legislature expressing its opinion on respect.
2 of 3 French President Emmanuel Macron looks thoughtful during the event on February 28, 2023 — Photo: Stephane Mahe/Pool via AP File French President Emmanuel Macron looks thoughtful during the event on February 28, 2023 — Photo: Stephane Mahe/Pool via AP, file
Is there a way to still cancel the measure?
The MPs can only prevent the application of the law if they table a motion of no confidence in the government within the “next 24 hours”, which has to be put to the vote and which clarifies the article of the 1958 Constitution.
Communist MP Fabien Roussel said “a motion of no confidence is ready” and farright MP Marine Le Pen who was Macron’s opponent in the presidential election said she would vote on it.
A noconfidence motion is unlikely to pass, as a majority of Conservative lawmakers are unlikely to support it unless a surprise alliance of lawmakers from across the political spectrum from the far left to the far right is formed.
If this is not done and the motion is accepted, the Prime Minister will be removed from office. According to French news channel BFMTV, Emmanuel Macron would then have a choice between nominating Élisabeht Borne again to form a new government, electing another prime minister or dissolving the National Assembly.
The leader of France’s conservative Les Republicains (LR) party, Eric Ciotti, said the party would not support any of the noconfidence votes and indicated the government could go ahead with its pension reform.
“Although there is no majority in favor, the motion of no confidence shows that there is also no majority against,” constitutional expert Dominique Rousseau told the AFP news agency.
None of the 16 heads of government who have used this instrument since 1958 have succumbed to a motion of no confidence that was subsequently made.
3 of 3 A protester holds a picture showing French President Emmanuel Macron being speared by a stick during a march against the government’s pension reform plan March 11, 2023 in Paris, France — Photo: Portal/ Benoit Tessier A protester holds a picture depicting French President Emmanuel Macron being stabbed by a cane during a march against the government’s pension reform plan March 11, 2023 in Paris, France. tessier
How do the French view the adoption of Article 49.3?
“In the eyes of the French, 49.3 is associated with brutality,” Antoine Bristielle, public opinion expert at the Jean Jaurès Foundation, told AFP.
Despite this bad reputation, the various governments of the Fifth Republic turned to him. Without an absolute majority in the assembly, Macron feared he would not have the necessary votes, despite support from the right.
According to the newspaper Le Monde, the article was viewed seven times by the current government between 2014 and 2020. In October last year, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne used the measure twice in less than 24 hours.
Macron’s predecessor, François Hollande, had denounced the operation by conservative Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin in 2006 as “denial of democracy”. That year the socialist was in opposition. A decade later and during his presidency, his prime minister, Manuel Valls, used this device up to six times.
Socialist Prime Minister Michel Rocard (19881991) used the procedure 28 times and, in November 1990, only got five votes back from his case.