After the Senate gave the green light, the provision bypassed the vote in the National Assembly by decision of the executive, which, however, now has to face the opposition motions of no confidence. The unions announce a new mobilization for Thursday 23 March. After the airstrike, thousands of protesters independently gathered in the Place de la Concorde for a spontaneous demonstration: at least 120 were arrested
The highly competitive pension reform In France, which raises the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64, passes without a vote in Parliament. The government of Emmanuel Macron approved the provision by having it activated by the Prime Minister Elizabeth Bornethe mechanism provided for in the article 49.3 the Constitution. After the Senate gave the go-ahead, there was no need to get MPs’ approval as well. The election took place in a climate of high tension inside and outside the chamber: while the unions and the protesters announce their intention to strike to the bitter end, opposition MPs are voting they intoned the Marseillaise (Video) and prevented the Prime Minister from speaking for a few minutes. “I take responsibility for my government,” Borne later said when she was booed. A little later, thousands of people streamed in Place de la Concorde an impromptu sit-in attended by trade unions but also by various “yellow vest” leaders: law enforcement carried out and used a series of charges tear gas And fire hydrant to disperse the protesters. In the evening the situation deteriorated further. After an attempt to disperse the police with water cannons, groups of protesters returned to the attack, vandalizing and setting fire to various materials and vehicles, and clashed with the agents. Numerous damages in the nearby, elegant Faubourg Saint-Honoré. The arrested are at least 120. After the parliamentary thunderbolt, the coordination of the French trade unions announced an “una new national mobilization” against the reform for Thursday, March 23rd: “Instead of withdrawing the bill, the government decided to enforce it,” the acronyms denounce in a note.
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France, the crucial day for pension reform. Demonstrators and unions promise indefinite strikes
“We worked hard with our ministers up to the last minute assemble a majority to this text. We wanted to vote,” Borne said on national television that evening. But it wasn’t possible, he explained, because “some people wanted to make one personal game at odds with their group”: The reference refers to the Républicains MPs who intended to vote against the reform and disobeyed the party’s instructions. At that point, he recapitulated, “it was determined that there were no more votes” and “a collective decision‘, ‘with the realization that we couldn’t play future‘ citing ‘possible changes in the position of opposition MPs. The challenge is to secure the future of our pension system,” he said. “I am aware that it is an important effort for the French to work for two more years. It may be that someone wanted to make people believe that everything can be paid for on credit, but that’s not serious.” The prime minister then said: “shocked‘ of the protests in the Chamber: ‘Parliament, the National Assembly, is the place of debate. If you don’t want to listen to each other, it means that some parties don’t respect our institutions.”
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France, opposition MPs prevent PM from speaking by intoning the Marseillaise: ‘No to pension reform’
But that’s not all for the government: In the next 24 hours, the opposition has the right to table a motion of no confidence. The services ofAssemblée Nationale have already announced that the vote on the motions – which will be “transversal” since Marine Le Pen has already announced that he will also vote on the motions of the left – is forthcoming Monday. The government has little chance of being defeated in confidence unless Republican or center legislators also vote against the government. According to the latest statements from the French parties, they would three movements in preparation: one from Nupes, Nouvelle Union populaire ecologique et socialea coalition of French political parties founded by leftist and ecological movements, which has already been officially announced by the national assembly and a third of several parties that could be signed by the group Libertés, Independents Outre-mer et Territoires (Liot), which has 20 deputies, and by the deputies of Les Républicains. Nupes MPs could also attend, but not from La France Insoumise di Jean Luc Melenchon. This last movement appears to be the only one capable of gaining momentum the 289 votes needed to pass. In this case, the government of Elisabeth Borne would have fallen. Macron would then have the choice of reappointing you to form a new government, or electing a different prime minister, or even dissolving the National Assembly.
Only once in the history of Fifth Republic In France, a government fell over a request for censorship of the opposition, a tool used hundreds of times. It happened in October 1962 with Charles de Gaulle President of the Republic. The Pompidou government resigned and General de Gaulle responded by dissolving Parliament. The motion of no confidence concerned de Gaulle’s intention Presidential election reform and convert from it a vote of the “grand electors” for universal suffrage, which could guarantee it greater legitimacy at a time of serious political instability.