Over seventy people were detained in Paris on Monday evening during protests following the adoption of pension reform by France’s National Assembly.
The adoption of the pension reform was made by France’s National Assembly (lower house of parliament), BFMTV reported, citing a police source. Earlier Monday, protesters and police clashed in Paris after two votes of no confidence in the government over pension reform.
Workers and trade unions have been expressing growing outrage by holding demonstrations and walkouts.
The decision sparked a strong backlash, prompting people to take to the streets across the country. On Thursday alone, over 300 people were detained during protests against the pension reform.
Tensions peaked in Paris after protests broke out on Monday over the adoption of a controversial pension reform plan.
Protesters left Vauban Square and headed for nearby neighbourhoods, where some set fire to dumpsters and trash, according to an Anadolu correspondent on the ground.
Police have so far arrested 70 people in Paris, broadcaster BFMTV reported, citing police sources.
The French government used special constitutional powers last week to force the plan through, prompting opposing parties to submit no-confidence motions over the measure that would increase the retirement age.
Members of the parliament rejected both censure motions, however, thus officially adopting the draft bill.
Protesters raised slogans against the government, President Emmanuel Macron, and the pension reform plan.
The unparliamentary passing of bills without following the protocol is crushing the voice of the people. The decision was driven by fear that lawmakers would be able to block the reforms as the government does not hold an absolute majority in the legislature.
Opposing parties then submitted no-confidence motions in parliament, while the protests were held and ongoing strikes extended in many sectors, including oil refineries and public transportation, against the move.
The government revealed the reform project in January and parliament started examining and debating the draft bill the following month.
The reform project includes raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 in 2030, requiring at least 43 years of work to be eligible for a full pension.
Marine Le Pen from the far right takes advantage of French pension reform
Marine Le Pen takes advantage of the French pension reform debate to defend the pro-birth policy, The birth rate has been left out of the debate on pensions argues the far-right Rassemblement National party. But they are conveniently forgetting the other key demographic component: immigration.
French Government Passing Bills Undemoractically?
On March 16, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced that the government had adopted the law on raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 years by invoking Article 49.3 of the constitution, which allowed the bill to get passed without parliamentary approval.
Macron and Prime minister Elisabeth Borne recently held a meeting after the Senate adopted the final version of the draft bill before it was submitted to a parliamentary vote.
They decided to invoke Article 49.3 of the Constitution, a mechanism that lets the government adopt the draft bill without parliamentary approval.
This process of control by the rich and powerful crushing the middle and poor classes is leading to a crisis-like situation. Recalling back in time, a similar situation led to the gruesome French Revolution. The French Revolution was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. It was the birth of a democratic reign with the votes of the people.
The storming of the Bastille sparked a revolution where for the first time in modern history, ordinary men and women, through their collaborative efforts on the streets set the seal on the creation of a constitutional system of democratic government.
Should the French leaders rethink the methods in which they pass laws without parliamentary consent and not be so autocratic in their procedures?
