Critical day for government pension reform in France
In France, the Constitutional Council will make the decision today that will determine the future of the controversial government pension reform.
At 18:00 local time, the decision of the Constitutional Council will be announced, which will determine whether the reform, which has become the main item on the agenda in the country for three months, is in accordance with the constitution.
The 9-member Council, chaired by former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius, will decide whether the reform is “totally unconstitutional”, “partly unconstitutional” or “appropriate”.
French President Emmanuel Macron will be able to enact the reform if it is deemed in accordance with the constitution.
MORE THAN 100 SHOWS WILL BE ORGANIZED
If the Council considers the pension reform “totally unconstitutional”, the reform will not enter into force.
If the Constitutional Council finds the reform “partly unconstitutional”, Macron will be able to enact the reform without any unconstitutional provisions.
While anti-reform protesters dumped rubbish in front of the Council building yesterday, demonstrations around the Council building were prohibited by order of the Home Office until tomorrow morning.
With the police erecting a barrier in front of the Council building this morning, such a situation was stated in the local press as “historic”.
More than 100 demonstrations will be held throughout the country against the reform.
80 PEOPLE ARRESTED IN PARIS
Yesterday massive demonstrations were held in the country for the twelfth time against the pension reform. In the demonstration held in the capital Paris, 80 people were arrested and 76 members of the security forces were injured.
Mass demonstrations in France, which began on March 16, continue after the government’s decision to pass the bill, which includes raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, without a vote.
Violence is taking place in many parts of the country between the police and protesters, who have violently intervened in the demonstrations.
More than 1,000 people have been detained in protests across the country since March 16.
The opposition and the government had asked the Constitutional Council to determine whether the reform was constitutional. (AA)