French Senate adopts Macron’s unpopular pension reform
Page 1
If Macron’s government fails to assemble a majority ahead of the vote, Borne could use a rarely used constitutional tool, known as article 49/3, to push the legislation through without a vote. Unions, which have fiercely opposed the measures, had hoped to force Macron to back down. However, the protests against the reform were smaller than previous ones, with 368,000 demonstrators marching through various cities on Saturday, according to figures from the Interior Ministry.
Tensions flared on Saturday evening, with Paris police saying they had made 32 arrests after some protesters threw objects at security forces, with rubbish bins burned and windows broken. In a joint statement, the French unions called on the government to organize a “citizens’ consultation” as soon as possible. The unions plan to keep up the pressure with an additional day of nationwide strikes and protests scheduled for Wednesday.
Marylise Leon, deputy leader of the CFDT union, said, “This is the final stretch. A lot of things can still happen next week. Will the text be voted in the National Assembly? We have to rally. It’s now or never.”