French government survives no-confidence votes in pension fight
- France’s opposition lawmakers failed to overturn the government’s controversial pension reform with attempted no-confidence votes
- The pension reform, which has sparked worker strikes and large streets protests, aims to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64
The French government under President Emmanuel Macron on Monday survived two no-confidence motions in parliament, but still faced intense pressure over its handling of a controversial pensions reform.
The outcome prompted immediate anti-government protests, with 101 people arrested in Paris alone in tense standoffs between protesters and security forces, police said.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne incensed the opposition last week by announcing the government would impose the pension reform without a parliamentary vote, sparking accusations of anti-democratic behaviour.
The opposition filed two motions of no confidence in the government as a result.
The 577-seat National Assembly lower house rejected the first motion - brought by the centrist LIOT coalition and supported by the left - by a margin of just nine votes, much narrower than expected.
It then overwhelmingly rejected a motion brought by the far-right National Rally (RN) with just 94 votes in favour.