Macron, facing defeat on a policy he has invested much of his shrinking authority on, took a last-minute decision to avoid a knife-edge vote.
The reform raises French retirement age from 62 to 64, which has provoked protests.Far-right politician Marine Le Pen will file a motion of no-confidence in Macron.French President Emmanuel Macron has used controversial special constitutional powers to bypass parliament and force a rise in the pension age, sparking mass protests and risking a national shutdown amid chaotic scenes in Paris.
A protester holds a placard during a gathering at Concorde square near the National Assembly in Paris.She triggered the 49.3 clause of the French constitution that allowed her to pass the pensions bill without a vote. The only way to prevent the legislation is for opposition parties to overthrow the government in a no-confidence motion in the coming days.
Prominent hard-left opposition politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon was among protestors to gather on La Place de La Concorde in Paris. Under Macron’s pension changes, the minimum general retirement age will increase from 62 to 64, some public sector workers will lose privileges and there will be an accelerated increase in the number of years of work required to qualify for a full pension.
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