France: Blame the Assembly for Macron’s Pension Reform | Opposition movements add to the massive rejection in the streets

On Friday, the French opposition presented two proposals to censure the president’s governmentAnd Emmanuel Macrona day after his unpopular pension reform was approved by decree, in the midst of mass protests and despite the fact that Disapproved by 66% of the population.

The group of independent deputies was led by the LUT and the far-right bloc Marine Lépine They announced motions of censure, and their approval is expected to be complicated, given the political balance in the House of Representatives.

political crisis

“Voting on this proposal will allow us to get out of a deep political crisis,” said the head of the Lyot Parliamentary Group. Bertrand BuncherWhen he announced his initiative, Agence France-Presse reported.

This announcement came a day after Macron decided to resort to Article 49.3 of the Constitution, a tool – legal, but controversial – that allows you to take the initiative regardless of the legislative voteAnd he chose for fear of not mobilizing the necessary support in the House of Representatives, where he does not have an absolute majority.

Subsequently, Legislative debate suspended The text is considered approved unless the deputies agree to a motion to censure the government, which will be discussed next Monday afternoon.

If either of the two proposals put forward is adopted, the Prime Minister’s government will fall Elizabeth BourneBut not Macron, who went so far as to threaten to dissolve the assembly elected in June in the event of a setback to his reforms.

closed roads

After Macron’s decision, France woke up on Friday to several closed roads, schools, crippled refineries and tons of rubbish on the streets of Paris and other cities. Weakness of the image of the executive authority.

Yesterday, after Bourne reported the decision to resort to Article 49.3 of the Constitution to act by decree, Tens of thousands of demonstrators spontaneously took to the streets of Paris to insist on their refusal to reform, with protests that left 310 people arrested.

He said, “We are angry.” Soumaya Jeantet, trade unionist at Monoprix supermarket And one of 200 people who blocked off the Boulevard Periférico de Paris for half an hour, the 34-kilometre ring road that circles the French capital.

In the face of public outrage, Last night, the police had to intervene and suppressed tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters gathered in the Plaza de la Concordia, near the Assembly.

On the streets of Paris, where a garbage collector’s strike has left tons of rubble, some protesters took the opportunity to light bonfires. Pictures widely posted on social networks appear Bonfires and barriers are burning, This brings to mind 2018 yellow vest protestsIn addition to contrasting with the mostly peaceful spirit of the union demonstrations that have taken place in recent months. Incidents have also been reported Ren, Nantes And Lions.

“The opposition is legitimate, the demonstrations are legitimate, and unrest is not like that,” the interior minister told RTL radio.Gerald Darman He warned that the government would not allow “spontaneous demonstrations” to take place.

Autofill

Radical leftist leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon For his part, he encouraged “spontaneous mobilization” across the country, awaiting the new day of mass protests called by unions for next Thursday.

“The staff will raise the bar,” he said. Eric Cellini, CGT trade unionist at TotalEnergieswhen the suspension of activity at the Normandy refinery was announced over the weekend.

With his decision to impose his pension reform in France Macron remains true to his image as an authoritarian and to his desire to reform a country It is considered heat-resistant, but risks undermining its second term.

The decision to use the famous Article 49.3 of the constitution, which allows a bill to be adopted without putting it to a vote in Parliament, has revived protests that are starting to die down after two months of intense mobilization.

And it deepened the crisis in an already toxic political environment. its adoption by force, though legal, It has been interpreted as a “denial of democracy.” Another sign that the government does not listen to the discontent of the French.

Two out of three oppose the reform’s core measure: delaying the retirement age from 64 to 64and a large majority also refuses to use 49.3, according to polls.

“There is a feeling that the government does not listen to what the French want and, moreover, it has a brutal attitude in Parliament [cámara baja]”, sums up Antoine Prestel is an analyst at the Jean Jaurice Foundation.

“I’m fed up! I’m not a revolutionary, I can’t take it anymore”shouted a caregiver at home into a France Inter microphone, during an impromptu demonstration in Saint-Etienne (east) after learning of the decision.