This news comes as Emmanuel Macron, when he was French minister for the economy, contested the introduction of pension reforms, the very policy that he is forcing through parliament this week leading to a threat of nation-wide strikes from the gilets jaunes movement. The pension reform law which aims to bring together the country’s 42 different profession-specific plans into one points-based system had already sparked the longest public transport strike in France’s history before making it to parliament. The project is the flagship economic policy for the second half of president Emmanuel Macron’s term in office.
The reform has become the biggest challenge to his government since the gilets jaunes street protests which kicked off in late 2018.
The decision by the government also comes ahead of important local elections next month.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe in an unexpected announcement to parliament on Saturday evening said: “I have decided to invoke the government’s responsibility on the bill to create a universal retirement system, not to put an end to debate but to end this period of non-debate.
“After more than 115 hours of debate,more than 29,000 amendments, 29,273 if my account is correct, remain to be examined.”
He denounced a “strategy of deliberate obstruction on the part of a minority” amid cries of protest in the chamber.
Resorting to the rarely used constitutional instrument to pass the law after weeks of debate has galvanised the opposition, who accuse Mr Macron of undermining the French social contract by cutting back the benefits of public sector workers.
Philippe Martinez, head of the labour movement the CGT, called the move to push the law through by decree scandalous and told French news service AFP that the unions would take to the streets once again next week against the reforms.
The leader of the far-left political party, La France Insoumise, or France Unbowed, decried the “extraordinarily violent” methods of the government while the leader of the far-right Rassemblement National, or National Gathering, Marine Le Pen said “the French will not forgive this outrageous manoeuvre.”
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Trade unionists have condemned the move, with the general secretary of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT) Laurent Berger warned it would be “disastrous for democracy” to conclude the reform debate without a proper vote.
Yves Veyrier from the Labour Force (FO) union denounced the “incomprehensible and unacceptable attitude” the French Government had adopted despite the widespread protests rocking the country through December and January.
Mr Veyrier also hit out at Mr Philippe and President Macron for taking the decision to invoke the so-called 49-3 special rule at an extraordinary Cabinet meeting that focused on France’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.