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Macron Presses Ahead After Bitter Victory in Pensions Dispute Macron Presses Ahead After Bitter Victory in Pensions Dispute
(about 3 hours later)
President Emmanuel Macron vowed to stay the course on Tuesday after his government barely survived a no-confidence vote in Parliament that ensured the passage of his unpopular pension overhaul but did little to quell the swirling political uncertainty about the future of his second term.President Emmanuel Macron vowed to stay the course on Tuesday after his government barely survived a no-confidence vote in Parliament that ensured the passage of his unpopular pension overhaul but did little to quell the swirling political uncertainty about the future of his second term.
In a meeting on Tuesday morning with government ministers and leaders of his coalition in Parliament, Mr. Macron said that he had no intention of changing his cabinet, calling for parliamentary elections or holding a referendum on the pension bill, according to François Patriat, the leader of Mr. Macron’s party in the Senate. In a morning meeting with government ministers and leaders of his coalition in Parliament, Mr. Macron said that he had no intention of changing his cabinet, calling for parliamentary elections or holding a referendum on the pension bill, according to François Patriat, the leader of Mr. Macron’s party in the Senate.
“These three hypotheses have been ruled out,” Mr. Patriat said, even as opponents of the legislation filed legal challenges intended to thwart it.“These three hypotheses have been ruled out,” Mr. Patriat said, even as opponents of the legislation filed legal challenges intended to thwart it.
Despite months of massive street protests and strikes, Mr. Macron has not said much publicly about his pension overhaul, which increases the legal retirement age to 64, from 62, and he had mostly left members of his cabinet to defend it.Despite months of massive street protests and strikes, Mr. Macron has not said much publicly about his pension overhaul, which increases the legal retirement age to 64, from 62, and he had mostly left members of his cabinet to defend it.
Mr. Macron, who has argued that the current system is financially unsustainable, is expected on Wednesday to publicly address the political turmoil and popular anger surrounding his pension plan for the first time in a television interview.Mr. Macron, who has argued that the current system is financially unsustainable, is expected on Wednesday to publicly address the political turmoil and popular anger surrounding his pension plan for the first time in a television interview.
The overhaul was never popular, and protests intensified after he chose to ram his pension bill through the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, without a vote, because of his inability to secure a majority to pass the legislation.The overhaul was never popular, and protests intensified after he chose to ram his pension bill through the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, without a vote, because of his inability to secure a majority to pass the legislation.
With 278 votes in favor, the main no-confidence motion on Monday fell only nine votes short of succeeding — a much smaller margin than initially expected, and a sign that Mr. Macron’s political troubles are far from over.With 278 votes in favor, the main no-confidence motion on Monday fell only nine votes short of succeeding — a much smaller margin than initially expected, and a sign that Mr. Macron’s political troubles are far from over.
Even some lawmakers within Mr. Macron’s own party, Renaissance, have expressed reservations the pension changes, and a few have gone so far as to suggest he should try to calm the country by setting aside the pension overhaul instead of forging ahead with it. In the lower house of Parliament on Tuesday, tensions remained high.
“You will yield, because you are holding on by only nine votes,” Mathilde Panot, a top lawmaker for the leftist France Unbowed party, said as she harangued Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne. “You will yield, because forcing your way through the people, through unions and through Parliament is folly.”
Ms. Borne shot back, accusing leftist lawmakers of encouraging the chaotic protests that unfolded in cities around France on Monday after the no-confidence vote, and of refusing to accept its result.
“Yesterday, your verbal violence spilled into the streets,” Ms. Borne said. “You are the nation’s representatives, so respect the ballot box and the votes in Parliament, respect our institutions and respect our democracy.”
Mr. Macron’s government said it was determined to press ahead, ignoring the opposition’s repeated calls for Ms. Borne’s resignation. Mr. Macron and Ms. Borne held a flurry of meetings with cabinet ministers and political allies on Tuesday to chart their next moves.
But some lawmakers in Mr. Macron’s own party, Renaissance, have expressed reservations about the pension changes, and a few have gone so far as to suggest he should set them aside to calm the country.
“We have to put this pension reform on standby,” Patrick Vignal, a Renaissance lawmaker, told the radio station Franceinfo on Tuesday.“We have to put this pension reform on standby,” Patrick Vignal, a Renaissance lawmaker, told the radio station Franceinfo on Tuesday.
“We need this pension reform,” Mr. Vignal added. But he said that the public had lost trust in the government and needed to be heard. “We can’t always govern with the 49.3,” he said, referring to the article of the French Constitution that allowed Mr. Macron’s government to push the bill through the lower house without a vote.“We need this pension reform,” Mr. Vignal added. But he said that the public had lost trust in the government and needed to be heard. “We can’t always govern with the 49.3,” he said, referring to the article of the French Constitution that allowed Mr. Macron’s government to push the bill through the lower house without a vote.
Others, while stopping short of calling for the pension law to be set aside, have insisted that business as usual is no longer possible.Others, while stopping short of calling for the pension law to be set aside, have insisted that business as usual is no longer possible.
“We are all weakened. The president, the government and the majority,” Gilles Le Gendre, a senior Renaissance lawmaker, told the newspaper Libération on Tuesday. “The worst enemy,” he added, “is denial.”“We are all weakened. The president, the government and the majority,” Gilles Le Gendre, a senior Renaissance lawmaker, told the newspaper Libération on Tuesday. “The worst enemy,” he added, “is denial.”
But Mr. Macron’s government said it was determined to stay the course, ignoring the opposition’s repeated calls for the resignation of his prime minister, Élisabeth Borne. Mr. Macron and Ms. Borne were holding a flurry of meetings with top cabinet ministers and political allies on Tuesday to chart the government’s next moves.
Olivier Véran, the French government spokesman, speaking to RTL radio on Tuesday, dismissed the no-confidence motion as an unnatural alliance of opposition parties interested only in toppling the government and incapable of ruling.
“The prime minister and our majority are the only ones that have a project to govern today,” Mr. Véran said.
Promising to continue the fight, opposition parties on both the left and right are filing challenges against the new pension law before the Constitutional Council — a body that reviews legislation to ensure it complies with the French Constitution.Promising to continue the fight, opposition parties on both the left and right are filing challenges against the new pension law before the Constitutional Council — a body that reviews legislation to ensure it complies with the French Constitution.
So far, the government has expressed confidence that the core of the law would stand, and Ms. Borne’s office said she would also refer the law to the council as quickly as possible to ensure that it was quickly implemented. “The goal is to ensure that this text falls into the dustbin of history,” one of the lawmakers filing a challenge, Thomas Ménagé of the far-right National Rally, told reporters.
One of the lawmakers filing a challenge on Tuesday, Thomas Ménagé of the far-right National Rally, told reporters in front of the Constitutional Council building: “The goal is to ensure that this text falls into the dustbin of history.” The government has expressed confidence that the core of the law would stand, and Ms. Borne’s office said she would also refer the law to the council as quickly as possible to ensure that it was quickly implemented.
Left-wing lawmakers also filed a request to the council on Monday evening, asking it to clear the way for a referendum that would let French voters decide whether to set a maximum legal age of retirement of 62. Left-wing lawmakers also filed a request to the council on Monday evening to clear the way for a national referendum on the legal retirement age, potentially fixing it at 62.
The vote would take place only if those calling for it can collect supporting signatures from at least five million citizens within the next nine months, a long and complex process.The vote would take place only if those calling for it can collect supporting signatures from at least five million citizens within the next nine months, a long and complex process.
But it was on the streets that opponents of the pension law mainly vented their anger after Monday’s vote. But it was on the streets that opponents of the pension law mainly vented their anger after Monday’s vote. Thousands held spontaneous demonstrations across France, some of them turning into violent clashes between protesters and the police.
Shortly after the no-confidence motion was rejected, thousands of people held spontaneous demonstrations across France, some of them turning into violent clashes between protesters and the police. During the night, marches of a few hundred protesters crisscrossed Paris for several hours. Small groups rampaged through the streets in a cat-and-mouse game with the police, who responded with tear gas, pepper spray and batons.
In Paris, marches of a few hundred protesters crisscrossed the capital for several hours at night, chanting slogans and booing the government. Small groups rampaged through the streets in a cat-and-mouse game with the police, who responded forcefully with tear gas, pepper spray and batons. The protesters set fire to piles of trash that had accumulated on the sidewalks during a strike by garbage collectors. An avenue in the capital’s Latin Quarter was littered with overturned garbage cans and the smoldering ashes of trash, with firefighters putting out the last flames.
The protesters set fire to piles of uncollected trash that had accumulated on the sidewalks because of a strike by garbage collectors. An avenue in the capital’s Latin Quarter was littered with overturned garbage cans and smoldering ashes of trash, with firefighters bustling around to put out the last flames. A few blocks away, tension was palpable on the Place Vauban, near the National Assembly, where hundreds of mostly young protesters had gathered. Police officers in riot gear had completely cordoned off the square’s entrances to the square, though the protest had been approved.
A few blocks away, tension was palpable on the Place Vauban, near the National Assembly, where hundreds of mostly young protesters had gathered. Police officers in riot gear had completely cordoned off the entrances to the square, even though the protest had been approved. Jérôme Legavre, a lawmaker from France Unbowed, said he and some colleagues had joined the protest partly in the hope that their presence would prevent clashes with the police. Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on freedom of association, called on the police to “avoid any excessive use of force.”
Jérôme Legavre, a lawmaker from the hard-left party France Unbowed, and some of his colleagues had joined the protest to show their support but also in the hope that their presence would prevent potential clashes with the police. Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on freedom of association, called on the police to “avoid any excessive use of force” in a message posted on Twitter.
More than 280 people were arrested across the country overnight, according to the police.More than 280 people were arrested across the country overnight, according to the police.
“There are no unjustified arrests,” Laurent Nuñez, the head of the police forces in Paris, told the BFMTV news channel Tuesday morning. He added that those arrested had “the intention of committing violence.” “There are no unjustified arrests,” Laurent Nuñez, the head of the police forces in Paris, told the BFMTV news channel Tuesday. He added that those arrested had “the intention of committing violence.”
Labor unions have scheduled a ninth day of nationwide street protests and strikes on Thursday. While none of the strikes so far have ground France to a halt, blockages and walkouts in some sectors have lasted longer and been more disruptive, leading the government to harden its response. Labor unions have scheduled a ninth day of nationwide street protests and strikes on Thursday. While France has yet to grind to a halt, blockages and walkouts in some sectors have lasted longer and been more disruptive, leading the government to harden its response.
In Paris, the local police prefecture said on Tuesday that it had commandeered over 670 workers to clear out the trash. In Paris, the local police prefecture said on Tuesday that it had commandeered over 670 workers to clear trash.
In the Bouches-du-Rhône area in southern France, where some gas stations were starting to run dry, the local authorities said they were commandeering workers at a fuel depot in Fos-sur-Mer — one of several critical energy or transportation facilities, like refineries or ports, that have been shut down or blocked over the past week by striking workers. At noon, a standoff continued in front of the fuel depot, with protesters throwing rocks at police officers who responded with tear gas. In southern France — where some gas stations were starting to run dry — protesters were in a tense standoff with police on Tuesday after the authorities commandeered workers at a fuel depot in Fos-sur-Mer, one of several critical energy or transportation facilities, like refineries or ports, that have been shut down or blocked over the past week by striking workers.
“We don’t want chaos,” Frédéric Souillot, the head of Force Ouvrière, one of the main labor unions, told BFMTV on Tuesday. “We want to be heard.”“We don’t want chaos,” Frédéric Souillot, the head of Force Ouvrière, one of the main labor unions, told BFMTV on Tuesday. “We want to be heard.”