Macron Government Bypasses French Parliament to Push Through Pension Age Hike

PARIS (Sputnik) - The French cabinet decided on Thursday to adopt a controversial law raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 years, which has been fueling major protests across the country for the past few months.

"We will not take the risk of many hours of debate, we will not risk the future of our pension system. This reform is necessary. I am committed to our social model, and this reform is the result of a compromise that the legislators of both houses of Parliament agreed to. I'm ready to take responsibility for it. According to article 49.3 of the Constitution, the government assumes the responsibility for this law," French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said at a meeting in the National Assembly of France.

The article of the constitution mentioned by the PM stipulates that the government has the right to pass a law without a vote in parliament if the president does not have the support of a majority of parliamentarians. In the fall, Borne resorted to Article 49.3 ten times to pass the country's 2023 budget bills.

Yael Braun-Pivet, chairwoman of the lower house, said that "the law is considered adopted from now on."

The decision was made minutes before the final vote in France's lower house of parliament on the text of the reform, as President Emmanuel Macron gathered ministers to decide on the legislation, according to reports.

The controversial reform bill seeks a gradual increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64 years. It has already caused a massive backlash in French society with numerous strikes erupting over the last two months, with over one million people taking part in most of them. During the protests, clashes often broke out between the police and protesters.

Despite the protests, the French government decided to push the bill through, citing the future of pension system.

Reports suggest that following the announcement, French lawmakers demanded that the PM step down.