Demonstrations against the reforms of the French pension system have been going on in France for months. Even the French parliament, the Assemblée nationale, was unable to agree with an absolute majority.
“The government just bailed her out.”
Macron’s remedy: article 49.3
For this reason, it was almost impossible for Macron to complete the comprehensive reform of the pension law through the usual legislative route. For this, last week, he initiated article 49.3 of the French constitution: which establishes that a bill can be approved without the consent of parliament, provided that the government survives a vote of no confidence. If passed, the government would have to resign and the law would be rescinded. If it is rejected, the law and the government remain.
“After voting behind the scenes, the government barely made it,” says Bijlsma. 278 MPs voted in favor of the motion, while 287 votes were needed. It was not as loud as last week when Macron launched Article 49.3, but the opposition raged yesterday too. Your government is already dead, said the far left. Middle finger to the Chamber, said the centre-right’. But after the failed motion, criticism from the opposition shouldn’t help, reforms of the pension system have become a fact.
70 percent of French people disagree
About seven out of ten French people disagree with the pension reform, but the government still survived the vote of no confidence. “Not everyone who is against the pension law is automatically against the no-confidence vote,” explains Bijlsma. “If a motion of no confidence were to pass, Macron would dissolve the entire parliament. Nobody has any interest in this, the parties will lose seats and new elections will have to be called.’
However, the latest move is not up to Macron. “The opposition will call the constitutional council to check for procedural errors,” says Bijlsma. If mistakes have been made, the law must be reversed. Macron himself could also reverse the law. It would not be the first time. In France it is more common for a law to be withdrawn because protests continue after ratification. But whatever happens, France’s future is far from certain. “He has to somehow regain his momentum, but it’s going to be very difficult.”