NewsEuropeMotions of no confidence in France

Motions of no confidence in France

By imposing the pension reform by means of article 49.3 of the French Constitution, unilaterally and without submitting it to the vote of the National Assembly, Emmanuel Macron has chosen the worst way to pass a law that will increase the retirement age in France from 62 to 64 years. The French president had other options at hand. He could have made an effort to reach an agreement with the moderate unions, as he did in the past with other reformist projects. He could have explained it better to his fellow citizens and avoid the inconsistencies that have marked his debate in the last two months. Or, at least, having convinced a sufficient number of deputies in the National Assembly to guarantee their approval by a majority in the Chamber.

But on Thursday, after verifying that he surely would not have this majority in the chamber, he ordered his prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, to resort to 49.3, which allows a law to be approved by circumventing the vote. And immediately thousands of young people spontaneously took to the streets of the country, there were riots and bonfires and barricades were burned in the center of Paris, the forces of order arrested more than 300 people and new strikes and mobilizations were announced on a national scale.

The French political and social crisis feeds the extremes and can end up costly. This is a country in which the extreme right collected more than 13 million votes in the last presidential elections and is preparing to take power. Early legislative elections could lead to a majority for the party of Eurosceptic and Russophile Marine Le Pen and would spread the crisis to Europe.

But the opposition can, through a motion of censure, stop the law and bring down the government. On Friday two showed up, one from the extreme right and another sponsored by a small regionalist and centrist group. They will vote on Monday.

Article 49.3 places all political actors before their responsibilities. The problem is that this pension reform is not just any law, it affects a pillar of the welfare state. That is why it should be adopted with the greatest possible consensus. Doing it with 70% of the public against it borders on recklessness.

If the motion is successful, Borne will leave and Macron will be severely handicapped for the rest of his term. If it fails, it will mean that the opposition lacks sufficient votes and that the reform will have survived, although the figure of the president will not have escaped unscathed and resentment in the country will not disappear overnight. Deputies will decide, democracy will speak.

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