PARIS — France’s Constitutional Council ruled Friday in favor of the most contentious part of President Emmanuel Macron’s pensions reform bill, which raises the legal age of retirement to 64 from 62.
However, it chose to block several other measures, including a “senior index” which aims at encouraging the employment of senior workers. Some of them were added as “sweeteners” to the bill, to make it more acceptable to trade unions and opposition MPs.
“The Constitutional Council examined the application of the articles invoked [by the government], it found that none of the applications have fallen foul of the rules of the National Assembly,” said one of the Council’s officials on Friday.
The government had come under fire during parliamentary debates about the reforms, because it had invoked a controversial constitutional maneuver — known as article 49.3 — as well as other moves that curtailed debates in parliament. Macron’s decision to bypass parliament and impose his deeply unpopular pensions reform last month led to a prolonged crisis, with a gridlocked parliament and continued protests.
While the council greenlit the plan’s flagship measure, it is unlikely to quell the protest movement that has rocked France. Turnout at the almost-weekly demonstrations has been on the wane but some trade unions have warned they will continue protesting the pensions reform.
France’s Constitutional Council, which is composed of nine political appointees, was tasked with deciding whether the proposed pensions overhaul is in line with the French constitution, especially when it comes to the adoption procedure. Its favorable ruling was the last hurdle for the government before the bill became law.
The partial turning down of the bill paradoxically opens the door for more talks between the government and the trade unions as they will be keen to see the rejected measures reintroduced at a later date. The French president has invited trade unions to meet him for talks at the Elysée Palace on Tuesday.
The Council also struck down a request from opposition MPs to allow for a first step in the organization of a referendum on setting the legal age of retirement at 62.
