A new battle began on Wednesday, May 31, on the controversial pension reform in the National Assembly. MEPs deleted at midday, in committee, the key article of a bill repealing the postponement of the retirement age to 64 years. A vote that appears as a victory of step for the presidential camp before the examination of the text on June 8 in the hemicycle of the National Assembly.

Amendments to delete Article 1 were adopted by 38 votes to 34. But the text, carried by the independent group Liot and whose examination continues, is not buried.

This first election was narrowly won on Wednesday in the Social Affairs Committee thanks in particular to the votes of the LR group which were added to those of the majority – only two out of eight right-wing MPs joined their votes to those of the other oppositions to defend the repeal of the 64-year-old.

.@fadila_khattabi shall proceed to the vote by appeal of the Members. The amendments to delete Article 1, which repealed the increase in the statutory retirement age from 62 to 64, were adopted. Article 1 is therefore deleted. #PPLLiot #RéformeDesRetraites #DirectAN pic.twitter.com/b7pWxn9I9c

— LCP (@LCP) May 31, 2023

"I am appalled, it means that we are not going to vote on this text. Shame on the LR on this occasion, they are only betraying their voters, "responded the deputy RN Laure Lavalette.

>> READ ALSO: The tortuous path of pension reform still puts the government under tension

The left, LFI at the forefront, counterattacked by tabling more than a thousand amendments on the next article of the bill, hoping to prevent the debates from going to their conclusion.

"If we do not have time to discuss the whole text it will return to the initial state in session, there may be an interest in doing that," explained LFI MP Alexis Corbière.

While the Liot group was reluctant to this strategy, the situation was very uncertain at midday.

With AFP

The summary of the week France 24 invites you to look back on the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news with you everywhere! Download the France 24 app