Neither protests nor garbage piles stop French pension bill
Published:Sunday | March 12, 2023 | 2:21 PM
PARIS (AP) — An unpopular bill that would raise the retirement age in France from 62 to 64 got a push forward with the French Senate's adoption of the measure despite labour strikes, street protests and tonnes of uncollected garbage piling higher by the day.
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne tweeted late Saturday after the 195-112 vote that she looked forward to the bill's definitive passage to “assure the future of our retirement” system.
The showcase legislation of President Emmanuel Macron — which carries risks for the government — must now move through tricky political territory with multiple potential outcomes.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne called a Sunday night meeting and ordered ministers to seek a consensus among lawmakers in the days ahead.
The government hopes it won't need to resort to a special constitutional option that would force the pension reform through without a vote.
Borne has used that mechanism 10 times before, and invoking it for the politically delicate retirement issue could trigger a no-confidence motion.
Government spokesman Olivier Veran stressed after the meeting that the government wants to avoid employing the constitutional option.
But when questioned, he added, “We won't renounce our reform of the retirement” plan.
With labour unions opposed to the bill, uncollected trash has piled up in Paris and other cities while garbage workers strike. Services in other sectors, such as energy and transportation, also have been affected, through were improving.
Paris City Hall said that as of Sunday, some 5,400 tons of garbage were piled in streets of the French capital, which included in front of the building where the Senate meets.
The stench of rotting fish and other food wafted in the wind, especially around some restaurants.
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