After the decision of the French government to implement the controversial pension reform without a vote, many people protested in Paris. Hundreds flocked to the Place de la Concorde in the center of the French capital on Thursday afternoon. The unions announced the continuation of the protests and strikes that had kept France in suspense in recent weeks. Opposition politicians denied the reform its legitimacy after the short-term government decision. There is simply no majority for raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 years.
To avert defeat, the government pushed through the reform on Thursday at the last minute without the final approval of parliament. It decided to implement President Emmanuel Macron's main reform project with the help of a special article of the constitution without a vote in the National Assembly. The president's centrist camp had relied on the support of the conservative Républicains, but in the end it was not sure.
Left-wing and right-wing nationalists have already announced motions of no confidence. These must be received by Friday afternoon. However, it is unlikely that the government will be overthrown. The President of the Républicains, Éric Ciotti, has already stated that his group will not support a motion of censure. Whether all deputies adhere to it, however, remained open.