Proposals to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 have been met with vocal criticism and widespread strikes in France. But now the pension reform is being pushed through – without support, according to French media. President Emmanuel Macron's government reportedly decided to bypass parliament.

In early January, Macron presented the reform, which was one of his main election promises in the presidential election, and since then the protests and mass strikes have succeeded each other.

On Thursday morning, the upper house of parliament, the Senate, voted in favor of the bill as expected. However, the government's main concern has been to gain support for the reform in the National Assembly, where the outcome has been unclear until the very end.

Uses controversial paragraph

The pension increase was supposed to begin debate in the National Assembly at 15 p.m., but shortly before, French media reported that the government had taken a different path. A very controversial paragraph in the constitution allows the government to force the proposal through without parliamentary support.

According to that paragraph – 49.3 – the Prime Minister (Élisabeth Borne) has the right to bypass members of the National Assembly and ensure that a law is passed regardless of what they say. The only option for stopping the bill then is to go forward with a no-confidence vote within 24 hours and try to bring down the entire government.

The text is updated.

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Paris garbage handlers are on strike against Macron's pension reform – now the stench has begun to disrupt housing. Photo: Reuters