Major protests erupted in Paris after Macron forced through his pension reform without a vote. Power to the workers of France! pic.twitter.com/Ihuak8Wi07
— Paweł Wargan (@pawelwargan) March 17, 2023
* Unions and lawmakers slammed French President Emmanuel Macron’s use of special constitutional powers to pass a controversial pension bill.
* The government will face a no confidence vote next week.
* Analysts said they expected the vote to fail, putting the bill into law.
* But anger from opposition parties and the public will remain.
* Macron may emerge weakened despite passing changes he has pushed for since he was first elected in 2017.
A coalition of French lawmakers on Friday filed a no confidence motion against President Emmanuel Macron following chaotic scenes in the country’s lower house of parliament the day before.
Despite frantic last-minute negotiations and number-crunching, Macron calculated he did not have enough votes in the National Assembly to pass his controversial and long-standing plan to raise the retirement age.
So he resorted to the back-up plan that many — including within his party — opposed; using a special constitutional power to force it through without a parliamentary majority.
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WNU Editor: The video below explains why protests are happening now in France.
Widespread Protests In France After Macron Passes Pension Reforms
Violent protests in France over Macron’s retirement age push -- AP
France: Pension protests, no-confidence motions after decree -- DW
French anger spreads after Macron forces pension age rise -- The Guardian
Hundreds detained in fiery protests after French government forces through higher retirement age -- CNN
Bitter pension battle turns to democratic crisis as Macron bypasses French parliament -- France 24
France Burns After Macron Skips Parliament Vote To Ram Through Hated Pension Reform -- Zero Hedge