Demonstration against pension reform bill = Paris on the 15th (Getty = Kyodo)
[Paris Joint]French Prime Minister Borne on the 16th, at the plenary session of the National Assembly (lower house), the ruling party about the pension system reform bill that raises the pension payment start age from the current 62 years old to 64 years old. Since there is no prospect that the bill will be passed by a small number of Houses of Representatives without fail, measures were taken to forcibly adopt it without a vote under the provisions of the Constitution.
The Republican Party, which shows understanding for pension reform, passed the Senate with a majority vote on the 16th, and the focus was on whether it could be adopted by the House. On the other hand, the strike, which has continued since the 7th, has entered its 10th day. Although the number of people participating in strikes and demonstrations has decreased, public opposition has not weakened, and a strong backlash is certain.
French media reported that an official at the president’s office said late Wednesday that Macron wanted a vote rather than a compulsory adoption. The government and the ruling party continued to manipulate the majority against the Republican lawmakers until the last minute on the 16th, but it was not possible to eliminate the danger of rejection, and Mr. Macron decided to force adoption.
