Pension reform is law, the government of Elisabeth Borne is safe, anger against Emmanuel Macron explodes in the square in a few minutes: the majority of the country does not accept the parliamentary response that saved the government by only 9 votes and the hated reform that increases the minimum age for retirement from 62 to 64 years. “Now it’s time to move on to popular distrust”, shouted the “leader” of the protest, Jean-Luc Melenchoninviting the French not to surrender and to continue the battle “with demonstrations, with strikes”.
Clashes in Paris against Macron’s pension reform, over 100,000 demonstrating across France
The country risks a blockade, the refineries are closing, students are ready to take to the streets, transport, sanitation, healthcare, all sectors are ready to do battle “until the reform is withdrawn”, as Mélenchon and everyone repeats trade unionists, more united than ever. If the French gather in the squares despite the bans – many are students, the elderly, peaceful people, even if small groups are fighting against the police – agitation can be seen from the halls of the Elysée.
France, transversal motion of censure to bring down the government. Paris, clashes and tear gas at the Concorde
Nine votes may not be enough to guarantee the government of Elisabeth Borne, who could be sacrificed in the next few hours to allow for a change of leadership. In the evening, the prime minister announced – going to the Elysée for a meeting with the president – that she wanted to «continue» her path and reiterated that «pension reform is essential for the country».
France, opposition MPs leave the chamber during Prime Minister Borne’s speech
From an institutional point of view, the left has already presented an appeal to the Constitutional Council for possible problems of legitimacy of the reform law. Furthermore, the left intends to undertake the difficult path of the so-called “shared initiative referendum”, a form of consultation launched in 2015 which envisages the initiative of a fifth of parliamentarians and a tenth of voters (which in the case of France would be about 4.5 million signatures, a goal that cannot be taken for granted).
On the political level, it is above all expected that Emmanuel Macron, hitherto reserved on the uphill path of his reform, will finally take the floor to regain harmony with the French. Analysts observe a “split country”, with a president who would like to “move on” after the pension reform but who appears more politically isolated than ever and at the lowest popularity point in (at 28%, as in the days of the “yellow vests” “).
The decisive day, much awaited, presented a rather surreal parliamentary hall, with Aurore Bergepresident of Macron’s Renaissance party, and Elisabeth Borne, to defend themselves against the army of hostile explanations of vote from the left, the far right, and the center of Liot, the party that tabled the motion of censure « transpartisane» voted by 278 deputies, 9 fewer than the 287 that would have been necessary for the no-confidence to pass.
Not even the deputies of Renaissance supported the two representatives of the majority, who left their benches almost empty, as if not wanting to appear with their faces in the foreground in a moment of great unpopularity. Whistles, shouts, fists banged on the benches, covered the words of Bergé and Borne as the applause accompanied the supporters of the motion. Then the result, a few votes less than the absolute majority of the Assemblée, with as many as 19 Républicains out of 61 who disobeyed the indication of the party leaders not to vote on the motions against the government.
A little later, the result of 94 votes collected by Marine Le Pen with her motion, voted by her and 6 other deputies. In the square – in the district of les Invalides, not far from the Palais Bourbon, seat of the Assemblée nationale – thousands of people poured out, the overwhelming majority peaceful. Some immediately began the usual clashes with the police: throwing stones, charges, tear gas, burning bins full of rubbish due to the strike. There are 142 police stops. They accepted the invitation of the trade unions and the opposition, “nothing changes with this vote”.
France, protests in Paris against the pension reform wanted by Macron
And they don’t expect promises, words, adjustments from Macron. They are simply calling for the “withdrawal” of the pension reform. At the Elysée, the only decision taken at the moment seems to have been to sleep over one more night: Macron will receive Elisabeth Borne tomorrow morning, then tomorrow evening at 19.30 all the majority parliamentarians. The protesters wait, determined not to give up.