- French President Emmanuel Macron’s government faces a vote of no confidence Monday afternoon.
- If the vote of no confidence fails, a bill would be implemented that would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 for most workers by 2030. If the vote is approved, Macron would appoint a new government with a new prime minister or dissolve parliament, triggering new elections.
- Continuous strikes and protests rocked the country.
French President Emmanuel Macron arrives to attend the National Roundtable on Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris on March 16, 2023.
Michel Euler | Afp | Getty Images
French President Emmanuel Macron’s government faces a vote of no confidence Monday afternoon, as angry opposition lawmakers challenged his decision to force changes to the pension system through parliament without an election.
Two motions of no confidence have been submitted – one by a coalition of center and left parties, and the second by the far-right National Assembly, which is also expected to support the first.
Analysts told CNBC on Friday that opponents of Macron will likely not reach 287 of the 577 votes cast.
But the vote is expected to be tight and could lead to the resignation of Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne, who has announced the government’s intention to use the special constitutional measure to pass the long-running plan to raise the retirement age.
If the vote of no confidence fails, the bill will pass and raise the retirement age for most workers from 62 to 64 by 2030.
Much will depend on how many center-right Republicans break ranks and vote against the government.
He was the deputy leader of the party Disqualified last month for failing to support Macron’s pension reform plan, which was passed by parliament’s upper house on March 12.
Left-wing members of Parliament hold placards and sing the Anthem of Marseille, France’s national anthem, as French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne arrives to deliver a speech on the pension reform bill at the National Assembly in Paris, France, March 16, 2023.
Pascal Rossignol | Reuters
The constituency office of Republican leader Eric Ciotti was pelted with stones over the weekend, Le Monde reported.
If the administration loses the vote, Macron will appoint a government with a new prime minister or dissolve parliament, triggering elections. Berenberg economist Holger Schmieding said this could make him a “lame duck for domestic politics for the remainder of his term until 2027”.
Either way, he will have spent a great deal of political capital to bring about his changes, which the government says are necessary to secure the costly pension system in the future.
A poll released Monday by Elabe showed that 68% of respondents wanted the vote of no confidence to pass, 68% thought Bourne should resign if the motion failed, and 69% thought using the constitutional measure, called Article 49-3, was a denial of democracy.
Opponents say the changes will take a toll slimworkers in the public sector and people with low wages. They also argue that the government prioritizes businesses and highly paid people over ordinary workers.
Workers have been carrying out industrial strikes since the beginning of the year, with industrial strikes escalating in March.
Refineries across the country have been on strike for 13 days, while industrial actions by garbage collectors have piled up rubbish piles around Paris.
Transport workers and teachers also went on strike. Unions have vowed to continue working and called for widespread strikes on Thursday.
Protesters are seen gathering on the Place de la Concorde during a demonstration on March 16.
Soba photos | Light Rocket | Getty Images
Reuters reported that hundreds of people were arrested, as thousands marched in protest across the country.
The parliamentary session to conduct the vote of no confidence is scheduled to begin at 4pm CET.
“Subtly charming student. Pop culture junkie. Creator. Amateur music specialist. Beer fanatic.”